Stan and Amy Parker establish a life in the Australian wilderness, confronting the indifference of nature and the complexities of human existence. Stan Parker arrives at a remote, inherited plot of land with minimal resources, intent on carving a home from the rugged landscape. He eventually brings his wife, Amy, to this isolated environment, where they navigate the physical demands of farming and the internal shifts of their marriage. The narrative follows their progression through decades, documenting the growth of a community around them and the inevitable cycles of birth, aging, and loss. The prose utilizes a dense, introspective style to examine the quiet struggles of individuals against a vast, often unforgiving backdrop.

Readers and critics frequently highlight the dense, modernist prose style that characterizes the work. Discussion often centers on the meticulous attention to the internal lives of the characters as they interact with a harsh, indifferent landscape. Many observers note the effectiveness of the atmosphere in conveying the isolation of the Australian frontier. The balance between the slow, deliberate pacing and the profound thematic exploration of human existence remains a frequent point of analysis. Readers often find the portrayal of the Parkers' marriage to be a central, grounding element that provides emotional weight to the broader existential questions posed by the text.