Reviews

I really enjoyed the first half of this book but then I didn’t have time/energy to read it for about a week, lost my flow and the end didn’t hit the same. Nevertheless it was a fantastic read, and I really liked the heavy, meaningful description woven through the plot, and the stark contrast with the main character’s bare description of her physical and psychological identity. A very poignant and double-edged description of dissociation (double-edged in the sense that it serves as a metaphor for traumatic dissociation and loss of cultural identity). I especially liked how the grandfather’s encyclopaedia injected important meanings into the text as it went, that made you rethink the previous chapter/s. Love him a lot, quality old man.
Interesting but probably purely coincidental plot parallels between this and Lukashenko’s Too Much Lip that made me do a couple of double takes when I first started reading. The tone, characterisation, and the plot pace of the books couldn’t be more different in the end.

lambsears's review against another edition

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5.0

The winner of the 2020 Miles Franklin award, this novel has received many accolades - all of which it deserves.
It's beautifully written, has a compelling plot, and the Waradjuri dictionary is a joy.
I raced through this in 3 days and enjoyed it immensely - the prose is thoughtful and beautiful.

redheadreading's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

5.0

Such a moving book! There are three perspectives - August who has returned to Australia for the funeral of her grandfather, his dictionary of words which he was compiling before his death, and a priest who was involved in setting up the Mission that the current town is based on. My favourite perspective was Pop's dictionary because the language was fascinating and the way he spooled out his life through his language was so interesting, but the three offset each other very well and were masterfully woven together.
The narrative explores a lot of deep wounds, from the generations-long pain inflicted upon Aboriginal people to the personal traumas that have shaped the woman August has become, and the focus is both unflinchingly honest and deeply affecting. I'm very interested to read more of Winch's work, particularly her contribution to the essay collection Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia.

jessicaofthetower's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

tara72's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sarahassaad_851's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Read for Year 11 Literature.
Really good exploration of themes such as identity, culture, sense of connection, language, and memory. The characters were really well-written and their depiction was amazing.

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