She is known, first of all, as the author of "Singing in the Blackthorn". A beautiful legend about a bird in a thorn bush helped find the name of this novel.
Colin was born in 1937 in Wellington, Australia. In her veins is part of the blood of the Irish and part of the Maori tribe - immigrants from New Zealand, from there her mother was born. Maybe that's why the family often moved, they did not sit in one place. But Colin still drew and wrote a lot, in any setting. And when her parents settled in Sydney, she had more opportunities to engage in creativity.
However, at the insistence of the family, Colin entered the medical faculty. Then she studied in both London and the USA, but her medical career began in Sydney.
Before seriously writing, Colin McCullough managed to work as a librarian, bus driver, teacher, and journalist. And at 21, she went to work at the Royal Sydney Hospital, in the Department of Neurophysiology, and worked there for 5 years. Apparently, therefore, she has a lot of images of people who are so dissimilar and accurately written out. Indeed, without a lot of life experience and experience in communicating with people, it is impossible to write such things as howled from the pen of this restless Australian.
The beginning of literary activity
In 1974, Colin moved to London to also study medicine - she still does not believe that she can write well. A few years later she already teaches at Yale University's medical school, and at the same time begins work on the novel Tim. This work has been favorably received by readers. When writing the novel, Colin used her experience in the field of neuropsychology when she described the main character. Critics also praised the novel, and McCullough realized that she could make money by writing. Moreover, the teacher’s salary was modest. And here - and a favorite thing, and the first fee, which was much more than her salary.
But I can’t believe that McCullough wrote for money, because the second epic novel “Singing in Blackthorns” was so powerful, so large-scale and at the same time detailed, that it was put on a par with Mitchell’s famous work “Gone with the Wind". Both in this and in these novels there is a love story, obstacles that heroes must overcome, unusual situations and strong characters. McCullough’s novel still addresses the issue of faith and trial with unattainable, elusive happiness. Moreover, we are talking about three generations of families - there is something to show, what to worry about and what to rejoice with the heroes for.
The novel "Singing in Blackthorn" is distinguished by the deep sincerity with which the heroes live their lives. They do not deviate from their principles, and in the end they understand that for everything comes reckoning - for both good and bad. And it is right.
In 1983, a series was released based on this novel, and McCullough took part in writing the script. The novel Tim is also filmed. The writer herself about these adaptations did not respond very flattering. But many viewers began to read her novels and were pleasantly surprised - they seemed so interesting and deeper to them.
In total, Colin McCullough wrote 25 major works. There were both successful and not very, however, all of her novels were loved by readers to one degree or another. Simply, each book finds its own reader.
