Project Gutenberg 2011-07-12 Public domain in the USA. 379 Prichard, Katharine Susannah 1884 1969 Prichard, Katherine Susannah Throssell, Hugo, Mrs. Throssell, Mrs. Hugo Prichard, Katarina Susanna The Black Opal E-text prepared by Amy Sisson and Marc D'Hooghe "The Black Opal" by Katharine Susannah Prichard is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story opens with a somber funeral procession for Sophie’s mother, Marya Rouminof, highlighting the rural, close-knit community of Fallen Star Ridge. The main character, Sophie, grapples with the loss of her mother and her father, Paul Rouminof, whose fixation on opal mining brings him both excitement and turmoil. Through Sophie's lens, the narrative explores themes of grief, community dynamics, and the complexities of family ties. The opening of the book paints a vivid picture of Sophie and her father as they travel through the plains, shrouded in sadness. As they pass familiar faces and modes of transport, their collective mourning unfolds, underlined by Sophie’s confusion over her mother's death and her father's erratic behavior. Paul’s obsession with finding opal, even in the shadow of tragedy, creates tension as he seeks to assert his worth to the community while Sophie longs for comfort. Michael Brady, a pivotal character, becomes a refuge for Sophie as he promises to protect her from the harsh realities of life beyond the Ridge, setting the stage for further exploration of friendship, loyalty, and the impact of suddenly shifting fortunes. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 80.7 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Opal mines and mining -- Australia -- Fiction PR Text Category: Novels 612900 2025-08-15T04:58:09.242913 text/html 618420 2011-07-11T22:27:35 text/html 291364 2025-08-15T04:58:17.012892 application/epub+zip 300362 2025-08-15T04:58:11.142867 application/epub+zip 300362 2025-08-15T04:58:09.947906 application/epub+zip 504237 2025-08-15T04:58:21.453857 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 487637 2025-08-15T04:58:16.294883 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 455413 2022-09-16T17:08:43.805652 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 589380 2025-08-15T04:58:08.141930 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 589238 2011-07-11T22:22:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 589207 2011-07-11T22:22:09 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 589220 2011-07-11T22:22:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21809 2025-08-15T04:58:21.580818 application/rdf+xml 11412 2025-08-15T04:58:10.455920 image/jpeg 3101 2025-08-15T04:58:10.203882 image/jpeg 216744 2011-07-11T22:22:10 application/octet-stream application/zip 216687 2011-07-11T22:22:10 application/octet-stream application/zip 221609 2011-07-11T22:29:58 application/octet-stream application/zip 216652 2011-07-11T22:22:10 application/octet-stream application/zip 286178 2025-08-15T04:58:09.289921 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia