This collection investigates the personal and professional life of Henry Lawson through his own correspondence, providing a primary source window into the struggles of a seminal Australian writer. Editor Colin Roderick compiles these letters to document Lawson's creative process, his financial hardships, and his complex relationships with contemporaries and family. The volume serves as a chronological record of the author's mental and physical decline, framed by the editorial notes that contextualize his literary output within the social landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This volume is regarded as a foundational resource for scholars and enthusiasts of Australian literature due to Colin Roderick's meticulous editorial work. The collection provides a dense, unfiltered look at Lawson's life, making it an essential reference for understanding the man behind the iconic bush stories.