The Blue Mile
The Blue Mile by Kim Kelly, published by Jazz Monkey Publications on June 27, 2017, is a historical fiction novel set in 1930s Sydney. This 412-page book explores the lives of Yo O’Keenan, who escapes a violent home to work on the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Olivia Greene, an ambitious costumier dreaming of fashion capitals. Their paths cross in a moment that ignites a powerful attraction, despite the challenges posed by their circumstances and the socio-economic turmoil of the era.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into themes of poverty and ambition against the backdrop of a city undergoing significant transformation. As the construction of the Harbour Bridge nears completion, Sydney faces the harsh realities of the Great Depression, leading to chaos and uncertainty. The Blue Mile captures the resilience of its characters as they navigate personal and societal struggles, highlighting the risks taken for a chance at a better life.
Official synopsis Publisher
An engaging, entertaining read set in 1930s Sydney against the backdrop of the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge…evocatively drawn.’ – Books+Publishing
Broke and hopeless in 1929, Yo O’Keenan flees the violence of his home in Chippendale, and by some miracle charms his way into a job on the Harbour Bridge, a new start for himself and his little sister, Agnes.
Meanwhile, on the north side of Sydney, in her cluttered cottage at Lavender Bay, a young and ambitious costumier, Olivia Greene, works on her latest millinery creations, dreaming of taking her colours to Paris, London, New York.
A random encounter in the Botanic Gardens sparks a powerful attraction, even as the gulf between this pair seems wider than the blue mile of harbour that divides the city.
By mid-1932, the construction of the Bridge is complete, but Sydney is in chaos, on the brink of civil war, as the Great Depression begins to bite – hard.
And then Yo disappears.
Against the glittering backdrop of Sydney Harbour, The Blue Mile tells of the cruelties of poverty, the wild gamble a city took to build a wonder of the world, and the risks the truly brave will take for a chance at life.
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