Chapters 1-5

Past the Shallows opens with a seemingly typical Australian coastal scene. Miles and Joe are preparing to surf the waves of a beach on the Tasmanian coast and younger sibling Harry is given a treasure hunt list of shells to find. Beyond this quick glance, a shallow look into the lifestyle, a deep secret will emerge.

Harry’s character is immediately established as gentle and innocent. He encounters a bird and his concern for its wellbeing shows him to be kind and considerate. He shows a depth of spirit as he holds an abalone shell and feels the history of the region, the connection between people and place over time. Older brothers Miles and Joe enjoy the surf and feel at one with the surging waves.

The idyllic moment is cut short as the next day Miles is forced to drive the family’s boat, the Lady Ida, while his father, Jeff and Martin dive for abalone. He has had to step up after the death of his Uncle Nick. Miles recalls what he has heard about the night that Uncle Nick died. That Nick had gone to secure a boat and was probably dragged away by a current, his body never found. That night there was also an accident in which Miles, Joe and Harry lost their mother.

Harry accompanies his Aunty Jean to the local fair and buys showbags for him and Miles as well as his friend Stuart. This generosity coupled with his interest in patting the animals at the show reinforce Harry’s benevolent nature. Aunty Jean’s actions seem forced and obligatory and there is little warmth in her presence. However at lunch, when Harry offers to pay for her, a crack in her hard exterior reveals the pain of losing her sister – the boys’ mother – and the struggle to decide to contest the will and take money from the family. When she drops Harry off she does not go inside, underscoring the feud she is in with Harry’s father. Harry is excited and in a childlike manner shares his showbags with Miles. Miles seems less excited as his day on the boat has left him blistered and depressed.

Another day passes and Miles is back on the boat. He reflects on how he treats the abalone as a commodity now rather than having sympathy for them as he did when he was young. This sentiment is emblematic of Miles’ lost childhood and innocence. Miles is concerned after his father takes some time to resurface. The tension reminds him and the reader of the dangerous nature of the sea.

Chapters 1-5 Quotes

Water that was always there. Always everywhere. The sound and the smell and the cold waves making Harry different. And it wasn’t just because he was the youngest. He knew the way he felt about the ocean would never leave him now. It would be there always, right inside him. (Harry) Chapter 1

Harry picked up an abalone shell, the edges loose and dusty in his hands. And every cell in his body stopped. Felt it. This place. Felt the people who had been here before, breathing and standing live where he stood. People who were dead now. Long gone. And Harry understood it, right down in his guts, that time ran on forever and that one day he would die. (Harry) Chapter 1

First day of school holidays. First day he must man the boat alone while the men go down. Old enough now, he must take his place. Just like his brother before him, he must fill the gap Uncle Nick left. (Miles) Chapter 2

Miles knew the water. He could feel it. And he knew not to trust it. (Miles) Chapter 2

Chapters 6-10

Harry is essentially alone as Miles joins their father on the boat during the school holidays. He tries to visit Stuart, a friend and kindred spirit, who is also without a father and struggling financially, living in a caravan. Stuart is not home so Harry leaves the showbag gift and heads home only to be intercepted by a friendly puppy. He follows the puppy but is wary when it heads to George Fuller’s place as George is the subject of childish rumours for being monstrous. George sees Harry and calls his name. Harry flees in fright. In another example of the metaphoric title, readers are invited to go past the shallows of George’s appearance and the rumours and get to know the warm and friendly character.

After work, the older brothers, Miles and Joe, head for a surf. Joe says he has nearly finished his boat and intends to sail away as soon as he can. He is living at their grandfather’s but Aunty Jean is selling the house after winning the contested will. Miles wants to stay close to Joe, revealing the presence of troubles at home. He gets sick and although Harry wants him to stay home so he can take care of him, Miles feels compelled to work in fear of his father.

In an event that reminds the reader of the fickle nature of the ocean which is reflected in the adults around the boys, a seemingly high positive moment quickly turns dangerous. This tension is reminiscent of the tension in the current household. The event occurs when salmon are spotted and the divers stop to fish. They are catching plenty and spirits are high. Suddenly a shark is landed and thrashes about on the boat endangering all the crew. Martin is injured and then Jeff shoots the shark. The large catch of abalone, salmon and the equipment is lost overboard in the panic. Martin’s injury means that Miles will have to skip school next term and work on the boat. He is trapped. Martin protectively warns Miles to watch out for Jeff. It is a small gesture of help for the boy but not the actual intervention that is needed.

Harry meanwhile searches for the puppy he had seen earlier. It turns out to be George’s puppy, Jake, and the chance meeting begins a friendship between Harry and George. Harry is unconcerned by George’s scars and instead finds solace in someone who will listen to him and who knew his grandfather. This friendship is a chance for a real caring relationship for both George and Harry.

Chapters 6–10 Quotes

Outside, the light was flat and even, the same grey light that there always was. Sometimes right in the middle of the day the sun shone bright and broke through, but it never made anything warm. Chapter 6

And then Joe said he was leaving. Miles sat still. He looked down at the water. It was one solid dark mass, impossible to see past the surface now that the light had gone. Chapter 7

It would have survived if Jeff had just let it go, let it slide off the back of the boat. It had made it this far, battling its siblings, killing and feeding off them. Waiting. It would have been born strong, ready to hunt, ready to fight. (The baby shark) Chapter 9

Chapters 11–15

Returning to work is no joy for Miles. His father is short tempered and after the days’ work he storms off to the pub leaving Miles alone. A kind-hearted Mr Roberts offers Miles a lift home. Mr Robert’s son, Justin, was a friend of Miles when they were younger. When Mr Roberts made a lot of money through abalone fishing and sent Justin to boarding school. He warns Miles not to get trapped into working on the boat and that it would be wrong. On the way home they pass the tree which was struck by the car in which Miles’ mother died and Miles is overcome with emotion.

Harry is there for Miles and hopes to take care of him showing his genuine kind nature. It is unnoticed by most who are absorbed in their own problems.

The boys spend a day with Aunty Jean who insists on cutting their hair. The awkward day culminates in an unwanted haircut for the boys and they reflect on how they look like sheep. Miles remembers how Dad used to brush Harry’s hair, providing insight into a time when the family was a peaceful place and Dad had a different temperament.

The cleaning out of Grandad’s house is symbolic of the end of an era. The happy times remembered are now becoming piles on the front lawn, ready to throw away. The boys discover a car seat in the garage and wonder why Grandad kept the seat from the accident. Miles finds a shark tooth in the seat cushion and keeps it. Later Harry tells Joe that there was a man in the car the night their mother crashed the car and died. This information shocks Joe and he wonders what it could mean. In the literary device of breadcrumbing, another piece or clue is dropped but not enough to complete the puzzle.

Chapters 11–15 Quote

‘Don’t you get stuck here with your dad’, he said. ‘Don’t you let him…You’re too young to be out there working, Miles. It’s not right.’ Miles felt the words sink down right inside him.
‘You’ve had it rough enough’, he said. (Mr Roberts to Miles) Chapter 11