During the drought-stricken year of 1869, Michael McWaid gets swept away by a hot-air balloon along with his brother Patrick, and the boys must make their way home in spite of dust storms and a devastating fire that nearly destroys the city of Wentworth, Australia
This is a great book for people of all ages to read. It's fun, exciting, and you learn about the Land Down Under. It also has great morals. I've read it, and found it very enjoyable. We have the whole series, and aren't disapointed with our purchase. Patrick's little brother Michael hides in a hot air balloon. When the ropes break loose, the balloon goes off, and Michael's caught in! Patrick gets jerked off his feet when one of the ropes catches on his arm. He ends up also in the balloon with Michael, and the balloon's pilot, who is a chattery know it all who fancies himself the world's greatest balloonist. The ballon makes a crash landing and a big man with a large, scarred face rescues them. When he takes them back to town, men make fun of the man. ONe even predicts he will be a criminal. Back on their boat, the Lady Elizabeth, Jefferson, who was going to bring them their wool, says the people at Kookaburra station are behind and.....he promised they would help out! So they all go to Kookaburra station to help with the wool. It turns out that is where the big man lives! They become friends, but the big man never speaks. Then there's a fire, and at the end of the fire, Patrick makes a confession to the man, called Ibrahim, and finds out why he never speaks.
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