Character Name: Bob Cleary

Spanning three generations and an infinite range of human emotions, The Thorn Birds is the story of a singular family, the Clearys, who leave New Zealand to live on a vast Australian sheep station, where their triumphs and tragedies are interwoven by cycles of drought, fire and torrential flood.

But most of all, it is the story of Meggie, who falls madly in love with a man she can never marry, and of Ralph, a truly beautiful man, whose ambition takes him from Outback parish priest to the inner circles of the Vatican — but whose love for Meggie Cleary will lead to a passion he cannot control.

The novel begins in 1915 and ends more than half a century later, when the only survivor of the third generation, Justine, a brilliant London actress, sets a course of life and love halfway around the world from her roots.

Brett Cullen played Bob Cleary, Meggie’s brother, and aged in the movie from 16 to 60 years of age.

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