Author Description

Life had always been simple for Ralph out in the beautiful Australian countryside. Although he's had to deal with the same issues that plague every fifteen year-old, his time spent learning a trade at his father's newly operational dairy enterprise on their hill-sheep farm had promised him a budding future. Unfortunately for Ralph though, the world has a nasty habit of ruining even the best laid plans, and the fifteen year-old's encouraging little life comes to a crashing halt when his father is killed in an unexpected biking accident. With the loss of his father looking to end his hopes for the future before it has even begun, Ralph is forced to grow up in the absence of his role model, tackling problems and taking on roles that the average teenager would never dream of. As the mounting pressure rises, the livelihood of his father's farm dwindles and the crippling responsibility felt from having to take care of the rest of his family and friends grows, Ralph is forced to come to terms with what it means to be a man. Following Ralph on his emotional journey to maturity, author John Boyd Roe spins an incredibly heart-warming and personal tale in his new coming of age story, There Was a Wild Colonial Boy. As Ralph learns to travel the unpredictable and treacherous road through his remaining teenage years he comes across people, places and opportunities that will change his life forever. Told against the vivid backdrop of rural Australia, John Boyd Roe's Young Adult novel epitomises what family and friendship means in the modern age.