The crooked stick or Pollie's probation is set in the outback during a severe drought that threatens the livelihoods of a pioneering family. The story follows a young woman restless with the isolation and hardship of rural life, yearning for adventure beyond the boundaries of her family s pastoral property. Early in the narrative, a dramatic incident involving an attack on a family member by bushrangers introduces the dangers lurking in the harsh landscape. The protagonist struggles with the monotony and harshness of her environment, witnessing the toll the drought takes on their livestock and farm. Amidst her mother s practical concerns and the responsibilities of family life, she wrestles with her desire to break free and seek a different future. Themes of love, loss, resilience, and the clash between individual aspirations and familial duty drive the emotional core of the story. The narrative explores how people endure and adapt in a demanding, often unforgiving landscape, highlighting the tensions between hope and hardship that define colonial rural life.