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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Part memoir, travelogue, history and part detective story, Luca Antara is a rich tapestry of history and the present. It parallels the life of the author, an émigré to Sydney, and the life of an historical figure, António da Nova, the servant of a Portuguese explorer who in the 1600s sends him to find out more about Luca Antara (now Australia).
'New to Sydney, Martin Edmond finds himself impoverished and displaced. He earns money as a taxi driver but spends his spare time frequenting second hand bookshops trying to learn more about the history of Australia and the wider region. The people Edmond encounters in his taxi and in his search for rare books are varied and strange, offering the reader a voyeuristic glimpse into Sydney's sub-culture.
'Sent to discover more about Luca Antara, António da Nova's crew mutiny and dump him on the West Australian coast. He is found by Aborigines [sic], who take him on an epic walk across northern Australia. Eventually he manages to return to his master in Portugal who awaits news of his explorations.
'Edmond's reading centres upon da Nova, but each book he reads leads to another and the subject becomes broader and increasingly fascinating. The lives of the two men and the strange customs and unique social mores of each man's culture and time intertwine throughout the book, ending with Edmond literally walking in the footsteps of da Nova across northern Australia.'
Source: Publisher's blurb (Oldcastle Books ed.).
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Australian Labyrinth
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The New York Times Book Review , 17 May vol. 114 no. 20 2009; (p. 9)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Fact or Fiction, a Remarkable Journey
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 11 November 2006;
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Untitled
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 17-18 December 2006; (p. 24)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Tale of Discovery Lacks a Veracious Compass
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 16-17 December 2006; (p. 10)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Beautiful Lies Just a Klanger
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 9-10 December 2006; (p. 34)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose
-
Australian Labyrinth
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The New York Times Book Review , 17 May vol. 114 no. 20 2009; (p. 9)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Beautiful Lies Just a Klanger
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 9-10 December 2006; (p. 34)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Tale of Discovery Lacks a Veracious Compass
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 16-17 December 2006; (p. 10)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Untitled
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 17-18 December 2006; (p. 24)
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose -
Fact or Fiction, a Remarkable Journey
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 11 November 2006;
— Review of Luca Antara : Passages in Search of Australia 2006 single work prose