The Land Before Avocado by Richard Glover is a history of Australia from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s, and a comparison between that era and Australia as it is now. The era of mid 60’s to mid 70s was the era when the author grew up (about age 7 to 17). With a mixture of humour and seriousness, he puts forth his argument that Australia is better now than it was then. He acknowledges that many people think it is the other way around. He supports his argument with stories from his own personal experiences and experiences of his friends, combined with historical research. He does mention some things that were better in the past. I chose to read this book because I am interested in history.
One reason I liked the book is that it is entertaining, and the author has a sense of humour. He hosts a 70s themed dinner party for some friends with 70s style food which he asks the guests to rate. He tells jokes about the banks that would not give him and his girlfriend a home loan because his girlfriend was a woman. He jokes about his friends memories of family car trips along the New South Wales coast.
I also appreciated learning about serious issues in this book. The author talks about the sexism and racism of Australian society in the past and intolerance of anyone who was different. He talks about there being less safety regulations in the past, which meant more car accident deaths, workplace accidents, accidental drownings in backyard pools and accidental poisonings.
I recommend The Land Before Avocado to adult readers who would like to learn more about Australia’s recent history and be entertained as well. Did you enjoy this book? Please send us your comments.
Alice
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