One For The Master, my fourth novel, was shortlisted for the 1998 Miles Franklin Award. It has been on CAE and VCE reading lists.
It’s set around the life of a Geelong woollen mill, over a period which begins in a time of optimism and ends with the mill’s ruins on the banks of the Barwon River. The story is told from the point of view of Helen Sullivan, whose life has been determined by her relation to the mill.
‘Dorothy Johnston’s is that rare thing, a contemporary Australian novel which draws strength and resonance from one of the oldest novelistic traditions in Australian literature.’ (Ivor Indyk, The Sydney Morning Herald.)
‘What I like most about One for the Master is its passion and its mystery.’ (Terri-ann White, Australian Book Review)