The Road From CoorainThe Road From Coorain
Score Classic
What it's about
Jill Ker grew up in the 1930s and 40s on Coorain, a remote sheep station in the outback of New South Wales, where the nearest neighbor was miles away. She tells of a childhood of hard work and wide-open land, a seven-year drought that ruined the family, her father's death, her brilliant mother's decline, and her own escape into books and university in Sydney, until she left for America.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer finalist. Conway later became the first woman president of Smith College, and this is one of the best-loved memoirs of an Australian childhood.
You'll love it if you liked
Out of Africa
Educated: A Memoir
The Worst Hard TimeGood to know
The first half is about the land; the second is about her mother and growing up. It's quiet and reflective.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller4 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #237 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #584 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2036 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Adventurous
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All Things Wise and Wonderful
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Up From Slavery
The Glass Castle
This Boy's Life: A MemoirExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Road From Coorain worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer finalist. It ranks #2,036 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Road From Coorain about?
Jill Ker grew up in the 1930s and 40s on Coorain, a remote sheep station in the outback of New South Wales, where the nearest neighbor was miles away. She tells of a childhood of hard work and wide-open land, a seven-year drought that ruined the family, her father's death, her brilliant mother's decline, and her own escape into books and university in Sydney, until she left for America.
How long does it take to read The Road From Coorain?
About 6 hours (258 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Road From Coorain?
If you liked it, try Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen, Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover or The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan.