The Bird of Time

If the movement of tectonic plates and centrifugal forces were to shift the Earth's centre of gravity, it is impossible to predict how fast and how far it could shift, where continents and countries could end up. The Bird of Time deals seriously and intelligently with a major natural disaster in Asia, which sends millions fleeing south, east and west, while leaving many to try and survive in harrowing, impossible conditions, or perishing. The author takes us on an almost incredible journey with a small group of Indian farm workers on the sub-continent, led by an expatriate Australian, Griff, and his Indian partner, Rohini, as they experience murderous and unprecedented events, following a catastrophic natural disaster that changes the world. Griff's goal is to get his group safely to the refugee camps in Darwin, where local representatives of the Indian government-in-exile are based. Griff's quick understanding, skills and single-minded determination are what drive their efforts to survive. This is an action-packed, fast-moving story, throughout which the author's terse and taut prose drives the reader, mirroring the urgency of Griff's endeavors as he motivates and leads his group. It is also an inspiring story of fortitude and humanitarianism, in the face of temptation to become brutish and selfish plunderers.