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nina_reads_books 's review for:
The Great Undoing
by Sharlene Allsopp
Fellow book lovers can I please draw your attention to a recent release that needs to be on your TBR right now. The Great Undoing is the debut novel of Australian Indigenous author Sharlene Allsop and wow this is a seriously good book.
This is dystopian fiction with a decidedly Indigenous bent. The world is largely ruled by a digital surveillance system called Bloodtalk. When the system goes down the world can suddenly no longer function and the global borders are shutting down. Australian woman Scarlet Friday is a Truth-Teller and her job is to correct the historical record. When she is stuck in London as the world collapses she becomes an illegal refugee and alongside a friend with considerable means they flee to the safety of Australia. As she goes on the run she grabs a copy of Ernest Scott's Short History Of Australia and begins amending it as she goes. Correcting the record and recording her history.
Telling you anything more than this will spoil the impact of this work. The writing is brilliant. The chapters are short and punchy. The author uses footnotes and quotes from real Australian authors to excellent effect. The effects of colonisation and its impact on oral storytelling are woven through this book. Just who is allowed to tell stories is also a theme.
I loved how Allsop manages to weave truth telling, a historical record of Indigenous participation in World Wars, what it means to be a refugee, the unpacking of identity and a love story all into one book. Absolutely mesmerising.
Honestly you really need to read this book. If it doesn't make one of the Australian prize lists this year I'll be gobsmacked. Sharlene Allsop is an Australian author to watch.
Massive thanks to @ultimopress for my #gifted copy.
This is dystopian fiction with a decidedly Indigenous bent. The world is largely ruled by a digital surveillance system called Bloodtalk. When the system goes down the world can suddenly no longer function and the global borders are shutting down. Australian woman Scarlet Friday is a Truth-Teller and her job is to correct the historical record. When she is stuck in London as the world collapses she becomes an illegal refugee and alongside a friend with considerable means they flee to the safety of Australia. As she goes on the run she grabs a copy of Ernest Scott's Short History Of Australia and begins amending it as she goes. Correcting the record and recording her history.
Telling you anything more than this will spoil the impact of this work. The writing is brilliant. The chapters are short and punchy. The author uses footnotes and quotes from real Australian authors to excellent effect. The effects of colonisation and its impact on oral storytelling are woven through this book. Just who is allowed to tell stories is also a theme.
I loved how Allsop manages to weave truth telling, a historical record of Indigenous participation in World Wars, what it means to be a refugee, the unpacking of identity and a love story all into one book. Absolutely mesmerising.
Honestly you really need to read this book. If it doesn't make one of the Australian prize lists this year I'll be gobsmacked. Sharlene Allsop is an Australian author to watch.
Massive thanks to @ultimopress for my #gifted copy.