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A review by biancarosesmith
Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch
5.0
“Some things you never forget. The way your dead mother used to smoke. The way sunrise flashes against the tabletop of the ocean. My brother’s scared eyes looking up from the kitchen floor.”
Swallow the Air is an incredibly moving story about one young Indigenous Australian woman’s journey to find herself, her identity and her father.
As an Indigenous Australian myself, I am always excited to read a book written by an Indigenous author and I’m glad that the recent #blacklivesmatter movement has sparked some attention within our own country and a willingness to read more Indigenous authors.
This book is pure poetry in the way it sings to your heart and depicts an accurate portrayal of the deep intergenerational trauma present in our people, but manages to do so in such a beautiful way. May Gibson’s story was one of many sad stories experienced by our people and we see her navigate life trying to find her identity whilst dealing with heavy themes such as grief and substance abuse. My heart went out to May having to deal with such big issues at a young age. Yet despite all she goes through, we see resilience and strength in May. We see resilience and strength in our people.
Swallow the Air reminds us that despite all the trauma, pain and grief our people go through, we will continue to survive.
Swallow the Air is an incredibly moving story about one young Indigenous Australian woman’s journey to find herself, her identity and her father.
As an Indigenous Australian myself, I am always excited to read a book written by an Indigenous author and I’m glad that the recent #blacklivesmatter movement has sparked some attention within our own country and a willingness to read more Indigenous authors.
This book is pure poetry in the way it sings to your heart and depicts an accurate portrayal of the deep intergenerational trauma present in our people, but manages to do so in such a beautiful way. May Gibson’s story was one of many sad stories experienced by our people and we see her navigate life trying to find her identity whilst dealing with heavy themes such as grief and substance abuse. My heart went out to May having to deal with such big issues at a young age. Yet despite all she goes through, we see resilience and strength in May. We see resilience and strength in our people.
Swallow the Air reminds us that despite all the trauma, pain and grief our people go through, we will continue to survive.