a town like Alice - Nevil Shute

I've carried this book around for how ever long i can remember. It was in my dad's library when i was a child, and when i left home at 17, i hid this book in my suitcase - together with a few others and an old small family bible. I don't know how many times i have read this book - 5, 6 times ?
But now, for the first time, i've just read it in english. And i still love it just as much. And i've learnt many australian colloquialisms on the way, i sure did !
It's one of those books where so many things happen that you can't remember it all - and that's why every 3 or 4 years, i feel the need to re-read and remember.
It's such a perfect novel; it has everything: adventure, travels, inspiring lives, a touch of feminism (or should i say girl power ?) and a charming crocodile dundee lookalike pouring with testosterone and gentleness.
A proper novel, a classic.
Actually, thinking of it, Joe Harman reminds me of the little house in the prairie's Charles Ingalls. The pioneer with good values, the big-hearted hard-working Man with a big M. This probably taps into a lot of women's fantasy, and it surely does into mine, even if Joe would probably bore me to tears with his cattle talk, and Charles drives me mad with his god-loving streak.
Yet, being in Jean Paget's shoes - or bare feet - has been once again a very enjoyable read.
There are really 2 stories here, the march of those women, prisoners of the Japanese army, all around Malaysia during the 2nd world war, as well as the making of Willstown in Queensland, a town that becomes something bonza, just like Alice Springs was.
I don't know which part i like the best, and i've always wanted to go and see Kuala Lumpur and Alice Springs, just because of this book. Maybe one day i'll do just that, just like i was once in Tuba City, in front of the police station, imagining that i was soon going to catch sight of Joe Leaphorn or Jim Chee. I never made it to Shiprock though, and i'll regret it forever. (i didn't really make it to Grand Canyon either, but i didn't really care).
This is one of these books, the ones that make you want to take the trip, to retrace the steps, to see with your eyes what you've already seen in the text.

Note for later: I don't think i'll ever bore of re-reading this book. It is both entertaining and captivating. To keep high on the list of books to bring to a desert island !