jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
4.0
Gorrie is a Gunai/Kurnai woman and in this shares her journey growing up and raising her family, and ultimately to working in the police force and the ongoing trauma that has had on her life since. Dr Chelsea Watego’s introduction frames the memoir to follow perfectly in articulating that Gorrie “is here to tell the truth of the Queensland Police Service, of the good and the bad. She so powerfully captures the hopelessness she felt when, having met the markers of success within the police force, she was discarded when her body could no longer withstand it.”
This is stunning storytelling—Gorrie shares this intimate conversation in her writing style that kindles a connection with the reader almost instantly. The writing is direct and deeply personal, a self reflection of a career and life as much as it is an account of the institutional racism and sexism permeating society and the profession specifically. So much of those broader traumas inform the personal as Gorrie writes them, though she notes clearly in her author note that she does not profess to speak beyond her own personal experience. The connection Dr Watego makes to Gorrie’s narrative approach and the difference between the Black Witness and the White Witness (first articulated by Amy McQuire in 2019) in that “she does not extract others’ stories to centre herself as the lead character or heroine. She affords a generosity to those she speaks of, even those who brutalise her, and unlike the White Witness, she refuses to pathologise them.” I thought about this a lot while reading the memoir, thinking about *how* Gorrie was telling as much as in the *what* of her story.
Also be sure to check out @_declanfry review of this in Inside Story (“Killing the cop in your head—forty ways of looking at Veronica Gorrie’s Black and Blue”)
brookesbookstagram's review against another edition
5.0
TW: racism, sexual abuse, family violence, alcohol abuse, bullying.
A proud Kurnai woman, Veronica Gorrie grew up dauntless, full of cheek and a fierce sense of justice. After watching her friends and family suffer under a deeply compromised law-enforcement system, Gorrie signed up for training to become one of a rare few Aboriginal police officers in Australia. In her ten years in the force, she witnessed appalling institutional racism and sexism, and fought past those things to provide courageous and compassionate service to civilians in need, many Aboriginal themselves.
This incredible and deeply moving book is separated into two sections, black - which details Veronica's life, and blue - her experiences whilst being a police officer with Queensland Police. Both equally harrowing, confronting and absolutely unacceptable. First Nations people are affected daily by the atrocities of colonisation, and will continue to suffer if change, REAL change does not occur. Intergenerational trauma WILL continue to occur for several generations as we still have stolen generations among us.
This is a powerful book, a storytelling book, a vulnerable and admirable book of Veronica's life.
Thank you for allowing us to share your pain, to help you heal, to make others understand.
A proud Kurnai woman, Veronica Gorrie grew up dauntless, full of cheek and a fierce sense of justice. After watching her friends and family suffer under a deeply compromised law-enforcement system, Gorrie signed up for training to become one of a rare few Aboriginal police officers in Australia. In her ten years in the force, she witnessed appalling institutional racism and sexism, and fought past those things to provide courageous and compassionate service to civilians in need, many Aboriginal themselves.
This incredible and deeply moving book is separated into two sections, black - which details Veronica's life, and blue - her experiences whilst being a police officer with Queensland Police. Both equally harrowing, confronting and absolutely unacceptable. First Nations people are affected daily by the atrocities of colonisation, and will continue to suffer if change, REAL change does not occur. Intergenerational trauma WILL continue to occur for several generations as we still have stolen generations among us.
This is a powerful book, a storytelling book, a vulnerable and admirable book of Veronica's life.
Thank you for allowing us to share your pain, to help you heal, to make others understand.
novel_nomad's review against another edition
4.0
The raw honesty and humanity that Veronica Gorrie delivers in her memoir are startling and beautiful. She does not flinch away from the hurtful memories of her past but embraces them as moments that defined her and her journey, specifically what led her to become a police officer. The dark moments are tempered with a sparkling wit, which makes you feel as if you are chatting to her over coffee. She also offers insight into the anger, systemic racism, and generational trauma that Australian indigenous people experience in modern Australia, but also their rich, vibrant, and joyful culture and communities.
An utterly beautiful memoir and one of many I hope that will emerge as in Gorrie's own words "everyone has a story - we just need to listen to them long enough."
An utterly beautiful memoir and one of many I hope that will emerge as in Gorrie's own words "everyone has a story - we just need to listen to them long enough."
readsbyfatima's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Rape
eargeeky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
5.0
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘I come from a long line of strong women.’
At the beginning of the book, at the end of her Author’s Note, Ms Gorrie writes:
‘Please be aware that this book contains material that readers may find confronting and disturbing, and that could cause sadness or distress, or trigger traumatic memories, especially for Aboriginal people, and those who have survived past abuse, violence, or childhood trauma.’
I thank Ms Gorrie for this warning: being forewarned enables a reader to proceed with caution into what is a confronting, important but uncomfortable read. The book is split into two parts. The first part deals with Ms Gorrie’s life before joining the Queensland Police Service, the second with her experience of ten years in the Queensland Police Service, and beyond.
This is a very personal story, of growing up in a society which (to my shame) makes judgements
about people based on colour and ethnicity often without considering culture, family ties and responsibilities. Some people sink beneath the burden of abuse and mistreatment, others will find a path through to achieve a more meaningful life for themselves, but all are scarred by their experiences.
In telling us her story, Ms Gorrie gives context. We learn about why, for example, her grandparents lived the way they did. We learn (or remember) the impact of alcohol abuse and violence on families.
‘When you are getting beaten, it does something to you. It takes away your self-esteem, your confidence, your self-respect and your self-worth. But more importantly, it takes away your voice.’
Disempowerment and abuse can become entrenched within family groups and across generations. Most of us will copy the behaviour of those responsible for our upbringing. Most, but not all. And this, for me, is one of the reasons why Ms Gorrie’s book is important.
‘I joined the police for many reasons: first, to see if I could get in, and more importantly, because I had seen the way the police mistreated my people and naively thought that if I joined, I would be able to stop this.’
Sadly, Ms Gorrie’s idealism is undermined by the reality she worked within. And injury forces retirement.
‘When I first joined the police, I had this idea that I could change the attitude of the Aboriginal community towards police. Little did I know I couldn’t do that until I changed the police attitude towards Aboriginal people.’
As I read this book, my admiration for Ms Gorrie increased. She tells a difficult story with humour and insight and in doing so provides hope for others.
‘The pain and suffering of the stolen generations is passed down from generation to generation. My grandmother lived this fear, my father experienced the fear, and I feared the experience.’
I would recommend this book to all Australians.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
At the beginning of the book, at the end of her Author’s Note, Ms Gorrie writes:
‘Please be aware that this book contains material that readers may find confronting and disturbing, and that could cause sadness or distress, or trigger traumatic memories, especially for Aboriginal people, and those who have survived past abuse, violence, or childhood trauma.’
I thank Ms Gorrie for this warning: being forewarned enables a reader to proceed with caution into what is a confronting, important but uncomfortable read. The book is split into two parts. The first part deals with Ms Gorrie’s life before joining the Queensland Police Service, the second with her experience of ten years in the Queensland Police Service, and beyond.
This is a very personal story, of growing up in a society which (to my shame) makes judgements
about people based on colour and ethnicity often without considering culture, family ties and responsibilities. Some people sink beneath the burden of abuse and mistreatment, others will find a path through to achieve a more meaningful life for themselves, but all are scarred by their experiences.
In telling us her story, Ms Gorrie gives context. We learn about why, for example, her grandparents lived the way they did. We learn (or remember) the impact of alcohol abuse and violence on families.
‘When you are getting beaten, it does something to you. It takes away your self-esteem, your confidence, your self-respect and your self-worth. But more importantly, it takes away your voice.’
Disempowerment and abuse can become entrenched within family groups and across generations. Most of us will copy the behaviour of those responsible for our upbringing. Most, but not all. And this, for me, is one of the reasons why Ms Gorrie’s book is important.
‘I joined the police for many reasons: first, to see if I could get in, and more importantly, because I had seen the way the police mistreated my people and naively thought that if I joined, I would be able to stop this.’
Sadly, Ms Gorrie’s idealism is undermined by the reality she worked within. And injury forces retirement.
‘When I first joined the police, I had this idea that I could change the attitude of the Aboriginal community towards police. Little did I know I couldn’t do that until I changed the police attitude towards Aboriginal people.’
As I read this book, my admiration for Ms Gorrie increased. She tells a difficult story with humour and insight and in doing so provides hope for others.
‘The pain and suffering of the stolen generations is passed down from generation to generation. My grandmother lived this fear, my father experienced the fear, and I feared the experience.’
I would recommend this book to all Australians.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
_lish_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
wetdirtreads's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Car accident, Addiction, Grief, Suicide, Misogyny, and Child death
Moderate: Classism, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Antisemitism, Cancer, Infidelity, Medical content, Islamophobia, Injury/injury detail, Murder, and Torture