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Magdalena Ball
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Black Cow Paperback – January 1, 2012

by Magdalena Ball (Author)
3.2 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
Freya and James Archer live the high life in a luxury home in Sydney's poshest suburb, with money, matching Jags, two beautiful teenage kids ... and they couldn't be more despondent. James wakes weeping each morning, dreading the pressures of a long and grueling work day ahead, and Freya is struggling with her foundering real estate career. Global recession is biting in Australia, and the Archers are afraid. In a desperate bid for happiness and security they shed the fragile trappings of success and cruise over into the slow lane to take an unmapped turn-off on a country road and live off the land in a remote old farmhouse on the peaceful southern island of Tasmania. But is this an end to their old misery or the beginning of an even greater one?
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  1. Print length
    290 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bewrite Books
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.67 x 7.99 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1927086469
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1927086469
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bewrite Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1927086469
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1927086469
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.67 x 7.99 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.2 out of 5 stars 24 ratings

About the author

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Magdalena Ball

Magdalena Ball

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Magdalena Ball is a novelist, poet, reviewer and interviewer, and is the Managing Editor of Compulsive Reader. She has been widely published in literary journals and anthologies, and is the author of a number of published books of poetry and fiction. Find out more about Magdalena at http://www.magdalenaball.com

Customer reviews

3.2 out of 5 stars
24 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • JSD
    5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Most people don't simply wake up one morning and realize that they've veered away from their ideals and set themselves squarely in the middle of the path leading back to them. In reality such an awakening is gradual, fueled by series of seemingly disconnected incidents; and the road back, if one can even get there, is more like a game of Giant Steps than a straight trajectory. BLACK COW examines the possibility of lifestyle change through the actions of the Archer family. Fast-paced, gorgeously-written and stunningly perceptive, BLACK COW is not only a great read; it is a timely and important one.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • ev
    1.0 out of 5 stars nothing to catch and hold plus profanity
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    There was absolutely nothing in the first chapter to even hold my attention.........nothing but complaints about how bad life is. Spoiled rude kids. The "F" bomb was dropped about half dozen times just in the first chapter, even by the kids.......thats when I deleted. No interest in profanity for profanitys sake, added NOTHING to the story!
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  • Ginny Martin
    3.0 out of 5 stars Hmmmmm
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This book tried very hard to make me stop reading but the story held my interest. There were a lot of typos, formatting issues and missing letters in words. Flat was misspelled many times as fat...flour came out as four. It could have driven me nuts but as I said, the story of a high stress life of one family and their solution to the stress kept me reading. But please, give the book a good edit!
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  • CLP
    2.0 out of 5 stars No sympathy for the characters - struggling with the story
    Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I just can't feel any sympathy for the characters at all. I am only half way through the book and really struggling to finish it. They all seem to be so self centred - even the kids. Not sure that I should waste my time completing it. Am also tired of the many typos.
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  • Ellen Mandel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Black Cow--a well-told family story
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A beautiful moving, and true portrait of a family, four imperfect but good people, each one and all together trying to find their way through the difficulties of life, trying to keep growing, no matter what age.
    One person found this helpful
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  • C. Hall
    1.0 out of 5 stars Nasty Characters,Profanity-Filled Crap!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Couldn't finish,disliked every character except the mom. Snotty,unlikeable,teens, lowlife,immoral adults,plus I don't read profanity-filled trash!

    SPOILER::::
    I got about halfway,and they still hadn't even moved,that's when I gave up!

    Would not recommend at all.
    One person found this helpful
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  • lcsdr60
    3.0 out of 5 stars mid life crisisand the choice for a life changer
    Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    not really my kind of book, its a mid life crisis where as loose everything buy living above your means or let everything go to find a happiness you have not known 2 of the farthest points away from each other yet many people do it and dont wonder about the in betweens.
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  • Kathy Brady
    4.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Realistic Book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2012
    Format: Paperback
    This book is a wonderful portrayal of a family trying to make it through the recession. But more importantly this books is an honest and amazing story of how stress can tear a family apart. From the very beginning Freya and James as well as their children feel like real people, and people that I think most of us can relate to in one way or another. Their family is far from perfect but not tragically flawed which is so important because it portrays the way a lot of families function.
    Moving from Sydney to a farm in Tasmania is a major change for the whole family. But the happily ever after doesn't end there, far from it. Changing where you live doesn't make your problems go away. And so, after moving, they are forced to face the really tough issues.
    The book progresses slowly which made it take me a long time to read, but I'm so glad that stuck with it because it really is an amazing story about stress.
    One person found this helpful
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