The Crooked Stick

In Short

Set against the backdrop of a relentless, drought-stricken Australian pastoral region, this novel examines the life of Pollie Devereux, a spirited woman chafing against the monotony of her station. When a charismatic, mysterious cousin arrives from England, she finds herself drawn into a dangerous infatuation that blinds her to the steady devotion of those around her. Blending colonial realism with a cautionary tale of youthful vanity, the narrative explores the necessity of patience, the burden of social expectations, and the eventual clarity that comes only through painful experience.

The Story

The narrative opens in the arid West Logan region, where a punishing drought has reduced the landscape to a parched, desolate expanse. Pollie Devereux, a young woman of intense, imaginative temperament, finds the suffocating routine of her family’s station, Corindah, nearly intolerable. She longs for an escape from the "dull round of routine" and the predictable, uninspiring men who manage the local sheep and cattle. Her mother, a woman of quiet endurance, gently cautions her against the dangers of impatience, but Pollie’s heart remains fixed on the promise of a more exciting, sophisticated life beyond the plains.

The arrival of her cousin, Bertram Devereux, an ex-military man who exudes an air of worldly charm and refinement, acts as the catalyst for the drama. While local men like Harold Atherstone offer sturdy, earnest companionship, Pollie is captivated by Bertram’s dark, distinguished manner. She convinces herself that he is the man of her dreams, ignoring the vague, unspoken warnings of those who find him difficult to read. Her infatuation grows during a period of crisis: a violent, climactic encounter with bush outlaws leaves both Harold and Bertram wounded. As Pollie nurses the recovering Bertram, the intimacy of the sickroom seals her commitment to him, and she believes their union is fated.

The engagement is set for November, but the illusion begins to shatter when Pollie receives a letter addressed to her from a kinswoman in England. The contents of this letter are transformative, replacing her "trusting confidence" with "disappointment unspeakable, dismay, and despair." She discovers that Bertram is not the noble, unattached figure he portrayed, but a man hiding a dark, complicated history that renders their proposed marriage an impossibility. The shock forces a complete internal reckoning.

In the aftermath, Pollie undergoes a long, somber period of "mortifying the flesh" at Corindah, learning to accept the quiet demands of her home and the genuine worth of those she previously dismissed. She turns away from her former obsession and finds a new, mature clarity. Years later, she is shown happily married to Harold Atherstone, traveling in Europe. Upon learning of the true circumstances of Bertram’s life—and the tragic, hidden nature of his previous, shackled existence—Pollie reflects on her near-ruin. She realizes that the woman who warned her, Lady de Wynton, unknowingly saved her from a lifetime of regret, preventing her from having "taken the crooked stick at last."

How It Unfolds

The sun-drenched trap The story begins with the oppressive atmosphere of a long drought, establishing the wearisome, monotonous environment that fuels Pollie’s deep dissatisfaction. She dreams of a life beyond the "pastoral desert" and rejects the local routine of cattle, sheep, and small talk.

The arrival of the stranger Bertram Devereux appears, quickly establishing himself as a sophisticated, if distant, figure who contrasts sharply with the "country bumpkins" of the district. Pollie is immediately struck by his appearance and, despite internal warnings, centers her romantic hopes upon him.

The bush confrontation A violent, climactic clash with outlaws disrupts the life of the station, resulting in serious injuries to both Harold and Bertram. This event forces the characters into a new, intense proximity, accelerating Pollie’s romantic delusions as she tends to the wounded man.

The breaking of the spell The arrival of a fateful letter from England shatters Pollie’s perception of her cousin. The revelation of his hidden past acts as a sharp, painful pivot that forces her to confront her own wilful blindness and the reality of her choices.

The long probation Pollie enters a period of quiet, disciplined reflection at Corindah, deliberately choosing to face the heat and the reality of her home rather than flee. She matures through this period of "mortifying the flesh," eventually finding a stable and honest love with Harold.

The final retrospective Years later, while touring Italy, a newspaper report regarding the death of a distant baronet confirms the truth of Bertram’s hidden life. Pollie acknowledges her past near-mistake, realizing how close she came to choosing a life of misery.

The People

Pollie Devereux is the central consciousness, driven by a restless, imaginative spirit that yearns for a life of purpose, yet she is frequently hindered by her own impatience and tendency to romanticize those who appear "distinguished." She emerges from her ordeal with a grounded, mature sense of self. Bertram Devereux serves as the dark, polished mirror of her vanity; he is a man of secrets who uses his charm to mask a "sombre family history" and a life entangled in deception, eventually losing his hold on the life he sought to build. Harold Atherstone acts as the foil to Bertram—an earnest, steady, and "honest" man whose patient, enduring love for Pollie survives both her rejection and the trial of the bush conflict. Finally, Mrs. Devereux provides the moral anchor of the story, a mother whose own "angelic" patience and wisdom offer a quiet critique of the impulsive decisions her daughter makes, ultimately watching her daughter find the peace she once lacked.

In Its Own Voice

"The thought of long years to be spent amid these vast solitudes seemed to her hateful—doubly unendurable."

Pollie reflects on her resentment toward the "limitless stretch of plain" that she believes is consuming her youth.

"She had resumed her quasi-friendly relations with Bertram Devereux, who apparently had not noticed the alteration of her feelings towards him."

Following the initial excitement of his arrival, Pollie attempts to manage the cooling of her own interest in a man she mistakenly believed to be her savior.

"Oh! I know—though it's like your cool audacity to say so—because but for her I should have gone through the wood, and through the wood, and taken—as I fully believe and acknowledge now—'The Crooked Stick' at last."

In the final pages, Pollie acknowledges to her husband, Harold, that her narrow escape from a disastrous marriage was the result of a hard-learned lesson.

What It's Really About

The novel serves as an exploration of the "probation" of youth, arguing that true wisdom is rarely gained through ease or fantasy but through the collision of idealistic desire with harsh, material reality. It grapples with the question of whether a person can be content in a place they consider "barren" or "dull," suggesting that the conflict is internal rather than geographic. The title itself acts as a metaphor for the human tendency to settle for something fundamentally flawed because it is presented with a layer of polish or novelty. Ultimately, the book asserts that maturity requires the surrender of one's own wilful, romanticized expectations in favor of a deeper, steadier understanding of love, duty, and the limits of one's own judgment.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate slow-burn, atmospheric character studies will find much to admire in these pages. The book captures a specific, vanished colonial era where the physical environment—the blinding heat, the dust, and the mirage-filled plains—functions as a character in its own right, pushing the cast toward desperate decisions. It is a rewarding read for those who enjoy the classic Victorian trope of the "new chum" or the outsider whose arrival disrupts a small, settled community.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the deliberate pacing and the occasionally dramatic, melodramatic flourishes of the period. The dialogue reflects a 19th-century social hierarchy that can feel distant, and the attitudes toward gender roles are distinctly of their time, though Pollie’s internal rebellion against those very constraints remains relatable. What stays with you is not just the romance, but the vivid, scorching heat of the Australian landscape and the quiet, sobering relief of a character who realizes, just in time, that she has avoided the path to a lifetime of unhappiness. It is a thoughtful, steady meditation on the difference between the life we imagine for ourselves and the one we are meant to lead.