Albert of Adelaide

Albert of Adelaide is the first offering from Howard L. Anderson. It depicts the journey of Albert, a runaway platypus searching for the dream of old Australia, where animals still rule and humans and zoos are a world away. His adventures take him deep into the outback (euphemistically named Hell) where he meets a pyromaniac wombat, an expat raccoon, and a couple of drunkard bandicoots, to name just a few.

This is a charming novel with a fantastic array of characters, wonderfully explored by Anderson. The unchanging harshness of the desert lands forms a backdrop that allows the nature of the various friends and enemies Albert makes to be explored in a manner both matter-of-fact and yet endearing. Not to be confused with cutesy tales of talking animals, Albert of Adelaide avoids any excessive sentiment and emotion to provide a novel that can speak beyond its immediate narrative. Touching on the very nature of the characters involved, it is an exploration of identity, culture, history and finding one's place.

Anderson mixes comedy and entertainment with the brutality of an ever present nature to craft a thoroughly enjoyable book. Serious at times and light hearted at others, this is great read, full of mayhem, adventure and the kind of instantly absorbing personalities that carry the reader through, right to its poignant ending.