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A review by emzilia
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia by Anita Heiss
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
(Listened to audiobook version)
A few notable chapters for me:
A few notable chapters for me:
- Easter 1969, Katie Bryan. Wish this one was longer
- Growing up, Grow up, grown-ups, Ambelin Kwaymullina
- ‘Abo Nose’, Zachary Penrith-Puchalski
- Carol Petterson’s chapter: I had no idea Australia enforced a type of caste system within missionaries based on the skin colour of people, people in the same family - Carol was not allowed to talk to her own brother or Mother because she was light skinned and he was not to avoid ‘contamination’
I really loved this anthology collection. It’s so important to hear the experiences of different Aboriginal people from different walks of life that are largely just synthesised together as a single experience in mainstream dialogue/media, or are otherwise underrepresented at all.
My first time listening to an audiobook, and while I think it complemented the nature of a short story collection with a range of voices, I did find it harder to retain the stories. If I get a chance I’d like to read this again, properly, and take my time with it a bit more so the essays don’t blend together as much.
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Rape