Amid The Plenty
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: mylar layer
In **Amid The Plenty**, **Gavin Casey** turns his empathetic gaze toward the hidden struggles of the Australian working class during a period of supposed national prosperity. Set in the early 1960s, the novel explores the psychological and social toll of unemployment on those left behind by the post-war boom, masterfully highlighting the gap between public affluence and private hardship. The story centers on **Jack Mayhew**, a hardworking "battler" who finds himself suddenly jobless in an era where work is supposedly easy to find. As Jack navigates the indignity of worklessness and the mounting pressure of hire-purchase debts, his domestic life begins to fracture, particularly his relationship with his wife, **Enid**. Casey’s narrative is a poignant study of a man trapped by circumstances beyond his control, capturing the frustration, loss of identity, and quiet resilience of a family fighting to maintain their dignity. Written with a "democratic casualness" and a deep affection for the underdog, this work remains a significant piece of Australian social realism that challenges the myth of the "lucky country."
Author: Gavin Casey
Format: Hardback
Published: 1962, Australasian Book Society
Genre: Modern fiction
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: mylar layer
In **Amid The Plenty**, **Gavin Casey** turns his empathetic gaze toward the hidden struggles of the Australian working class during a period of supposed national prosperity. Set in the early 1960s, the novel explores the psychological and social toll of unemployment on those left behind by the post-war boom, masterfully highlighting the gap between public affluence and private hardship. The story centers on **Jack Mayhew**, a hardworking "battler" who finds himself suddenly jobless in an era where work is supposedly easy to find. As Jack navigates the indignity of worklessness and the mounting pressure of hire-purchase debts, his domestic life begins to fracture, particularly his relationship with his wife, **Enid**. Casey’s narrative is a poignant study of a man trapped by circumstances beyond his control, capturing the frustration, loss of identity, and quiet resilience of a family fighting to maintain their dignity. Written with a "democratic casualness" and a deep affection for the underdog, this work remains a significant piece of Australian social realism that challenges the myth of the "lucky country."