The Drowner — Robert Drewe

Will Dance is the son of a "drowner, " a man who understands the secrets of irrigation. With actress Angelica Lloyd, whom he meets at the public baths, Will journeys to western Australia to work on the engineering miracle that was to bring fresh water uphill to a desert town gripped by two fevers: the goldrush and typhoid. While the love story of Angelica and Will is at the heart of this novel, it is but a part of the daring epic romance that unfolds.