I found this book quite difficult to get into, but I think maybe it was more a case of it wasn't the right time for me to read the book rather than anything wrong with the book itself. I had expected to really enjoy the South Australian setting, yet, for some reason, it didn’t fully capture my interest.

I did appreciate the focus on Canning and Michael, having returned home from war rather than focussing on the soldiers still on the front lines. However, at times, I found myself forgetting that the war was still ongoing overseas. There were flashbacks to both pre-war and wartime moments, which added depth to the story.

Canning and his father, Michael, both wrestle with demons from their past, but it manifests differently. It was interesting to see how they each tried to confront and navigate their struggles and live a new kind of normal.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House AU for my eARC.

Have you ever wondered how soldiers felt, coped and fitted back into society when they returned to Australia after serving and being wounded in World War Two and author Nicole Alexander explores this in her latest novel The Limestone Coast?

Canning Christie can’t remember a lot about what happened during the last campaign in North Africa, he sustained a leg injury and Michael his father does and they served in the same unit and he won’t tell him. They arrive in Lampana and it’s a small town in the south east of South Australia and have been granted land and as part of the Soldiers Settlers scheme.

Michael is set on growing tobacco and Canning discovers an old vineyard on the property and he wants to make his own wine and all he needs to do is work out how? He becomes obsessed with viniculture, Canning thinks it has something to with his last night in battle at El Alamein and a friend called Luke.

Canning meets Bastian Meyer, he’s of German origin and in hiding and knows a lot about growing and harvesting grapes and making wine and they become friends. Italian POW’s are send to the area to clear forests and work on farms and Canning needs the help, his dad isn’t reliable, he likes chasing women and drinking. At the start Canning finds it hard and he begins to see the Italian men as people, who miss home and not the enemy.

I received a copy of The Limestone Coast from Penguin Random House Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am so grateful to Nicole Alexander for writing this book and bringing unknown things to my attention, it explores topics such as, father and son relationships and estranged families, the trauma of war and they were suffering from the medical condition we call PTSD, the Soldier Settlement scheme and the treatment of POW’s and internees during the 1940’s.

A must read for those who are interested in the Limestone Coast and Mount Gambier and nearby small towns where ex-soldiers settled and it's full of information and insights about what it was like to be a returned veteran, when the war wasn't over and there was no counselling back then. I really liked Canning and Michael was a better father than he seemed and I would like to know what happens next, please write a sequel and five stars from me.

Another amazing historical novel from Nicole Alexander.
The book is well written and the story is beautifully executed. It is about a father and son who comes home from war after the two of them served as soldier during WWII.
I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC

Canning Christie and his father Michael returned home to South Australia after both being injured during battle. It was 1944 and the sands of North Africa would take a long time to become a distant memory. Canning was traumatised, had been cared for by those who professed to know - but still the nightmares came. Arriving at the property they had been allocated by the government, they saw a tobacco crop as well as a small vineyard; Michael saw money in the tobacco industry, but Canning was enthusiastic about creating his own wines.

While Canning carried his own demons, Michael suppressed his as well as the wound which would dictate his life. It wasn't long before Michael was back to his old ways with the local women but Canning did his best, both for his father and with their property. Meeting up with Bastian caused Canning pain and confliction, but Bastian would help Canning and soon they were friends. Slowly, gradually, Canning began to heal...

The Limestone Road is another well written historical novel by Aussie author Nicole Alexander which tells of two men's lives after their time on the front line, but before the war ended, as they tried to return to "normal". Not hugely likeable characters, especially Michael, but Canning grew on me. Set in the south east of South Australia, there was mention of many places I know, as I lived in the area from age 7 until 18 years old, so it's very familiar. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Random House AU for my digital ARC to read and review.