nattyn's review against another edition
5.0
Talking To My Country by Stan Grant is a compelling book that he writes openly and passionately about what it was like growing up Aboriginal in Australia. Grant takes mattering moments from his life and uses them as jumping-off points to address topics like Indigenous history, the treatment of Indigenous people, their mental health, and racism in the twenty-first century Australia. Before reading this book, I did not know much about the past and situation of the indigenous people of Australia. However, this work is another valuable and very personal memoir that I recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about matters of race, culture, and identity.
amy_grace's review against another edition
5.0
I could not put this book down. Stan Grant’s writing is engaging, it draws you in and captivates you as you read. Even when the story is moving from Australian history, to his family history to his own life I was never disengaged.
But reading this was a lot of emotions. It makes me sad and angry. Stan’s writing may be easy to fly through but the content is hard.
I would highly recommend reading Talking to my Country to every Australian.
But reading this was a lot of emotions. It makes me sad and angry. Stan’s writing may be easy to fly through but the content is hard.
I would highly recommend reading Talking to my Country to every Australian.
claire_melanie's review against another edition
4.0
A super smart book - something in there for everyone and despite its searing indictment of Aust racism a nice overall message of reconciliation to appease the Settler readership. Well played.
elizaeliza's review against another edition
4.0
How does it feel to be Indigenous in this country? What is the legacy of the horrendous way white people and institutions have treated the first Australians? How is identity realised and claimed?
aydanroger's review against another edition
5.0
A great book, and timely to read with the Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum to be held this year. I encourage all Australians to read this and listen to its message
miagw962's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
My family is shackled to its past. Australians can consign history to a bygone era. Indigenous people are now told to do the same. We are told to let it go. But our history is a living thing. It is physical. It is noses and mouths and faces. It is written in our bodies.
Nothing I say is quite going to capture what Stan Grant did with this book and how important and necessary it is for every Australian to read it. Grant's emotional intelligence as well as his personal experiences as a First Nations Australian shine through in this book that reads like a personal essay. Words flow from the page so elegantly whilst still evoking the often brutal and confronting truths of the subject matter. Australia has come a long way but we still have a long way to go in regards to uplifting and respecting our traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. Anyway, this should be taught in Australian schools.
rodhunt's review against another edition
5.0
All non-indigenous people living on this continent should read this book.