Tell It to the World: an Indigenous Memoir

Tell It to the World: an Indigenous Memoir by Stan Grant

Pages: 255 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A CNN correspondent shares the story of how he grew up in Australia and how even though he is now successful, growing up an Aboriginal Australian effected him. Grant shares his personal experiences with racism as a child through his adulthood. He found a route to self-worth through reading the writings of James Baldwin. He compares Australia's treatment of the Aborigines to America's treatment of Native Americans and blacks. 

I was unaware of this part of Australia's history. I knew that there were several Aboriginal tribes already living in Australia when Great Britain first sent settlers and then prisoners to live there. However, I did not know how the Aboriginals had been treated from the very beginning and how they are viewed as other, still today. 

He shares how the ongoing racism in Australia and the world continues to cause hardship, anger, and shame for him as an indigenous man. He argues that the effects of early colonialism and oppression are now everyday realties that have shaped countries and governments and we all have to realize this to change it. 

Tell it to the World by Stan Grant

A shocking memoir of an Aboriginal Australian growing up and living with the legacy of racism and oppression in his country. Although I have read similar memoirs of African Americans or Native Americans in the states, it was enlightening to read the voice of someone dealing with very similar issues in another country. His writing is very honest and conversational. It would be a good read for those who enjoyed Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me, or for those looking to challenge their own implicit biases.


An important look at the legacy of colonialism and discrimination in today's world.

256 pages

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#BecRereads2018

Rereading this one left me feeling so frayed around the edges. I remembered the difficult story line, the Australian charm, and the fascinating, nonlinear approach in which 20+ years were woven together in what feels like a random fashion (but is definitely not random) to create one story. The unique way in which the story is told has always stood out to me.

I did not remember (or chose not to) how much it actually hurts to read this one, nor how much of the story is composed of grief and misunderstanding. There's also a lot of joy here, but I think that only a span of 4 years has made a difference in how I absorbed this story. I think it's still a great read, but the feels wrecked me this time.

Book 187 read in 2018

Pages: 290

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
Later. I will find all the words later, but you should be reading this. Right now

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story is unique, in that it is written in second person narrative, as a letter from Gemma to her kidnapper. Since second person is rare in fiction, it did, upon occasion, jolt my brain, and I'd have to reset to keep reading.

However, I enjoyed the story overall and thought it was well-written. Nothing really worked out the way I thought or expected. It's a bit intense, in a weird and twisty sort of way, and it's basically never fun or lighthearted. So don't expect that. Expect unusual with a sad undertone.

Pages: 320

"Rustic Melody" by Nic Starr

This story focused on two young men at a crossroads in their lives.  Joey Callaway has been working non-stop in his family's small town pub and hotel after his father's death leaves them drowning in debt.  Adam Chambers is a city boy who has taken a year off to travel and try to decide if he wants to continue working in his father's development company.  He doesn't like his father's unethical business practices, but the pressure to stay in the family business is strong.  When Joey finally takes a few days to himself to attend the Tamworth Country Music Festival, he sees Adam playing his guitar and is quite taken.  The two become more than friends and spend their holiday sightseeing and taking in the music, but Joey has to return to the pub when his mother is injured.  Will they ever see each other again?

This was a low-angst, gentle romance between two likable characters who didn't want to disappoint their families.  Joey's mom and Adam's sister are supportive, pushing both men to do what makes them happy.  The book takes place in Australia, which is almost always a plus for any story.  I'd like to read the next in the series.  174 pages (Kindle edition)

"Little Bat" by Tania Cox, illustrated by Andrew McLean

Little Bat lives in a rainforest in northeastern Australia and clings to her mother in fear knowing that she is expected to start flying soon.  Other animal friends come by to give advice to the little red flying fox.  These include a paradise kingfisher, a Boyd's forest dragon, a green ringtail possum, a king parrot, a lesser sooty owl, a Ulysses butterfly, a yellow-breasted sunbird, a spotted-tailed quoll, and a green python.  Colorful, detailed drawings on a dark blue background showcase these forest dwellers.  This is a lovely book about encouraging a friend.  30 pages.

"Tigers & Devils" by Sean Kennedy

This is an excellent and well written story that takes place mostly in Melbourne, Australia, and focuses on Simon Murray, who runs an independent movie festival, and Declan Tyler, a top player in Australian Rules Football.  Simon and his best friends, married couple Fran and Roger, are big fans of the sport, like the rest of the country, and are shocked when Declan kisses Simon at a party.  Could one of the most popular players in the Australian Football League really be gay?  The answer is yes, but he's mostly in the closet until someone takes a photo of Declan and Simon kissing and all hell breaks loose.  I liked this poignant and sometimes humorous tale and the author's writing very much.  It's told from Simon's POV, and he's not the most confident and easy going guy like Declan is.  He can be immature and easily hurt, but he finds he is stronger than he thinks when the whole country seems to be laughing at him.  Highly recommended and there's a sequel!  376 pages (Kindle edition).

"Twelve Days" by Isabelle Rowan

In this follow up to "A Note in the Margin", John, David, and Jamie are still running the bookstore Margins and are getting ready for Christmas.  David continues to deal with the repercussions of living on the street and is trying to rebuild his relationship with his son with the help of John.  Jamie is worried that he's going to be alone forever and feels especially bad that this will be the first Christmas not spent with his mom.  I was glad to read about all three men and how they've progressed since the first book.  The ending was especially touching.  64 pages (Kindle edition).

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

After four horrific years on the Western Front during World War II, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia, and becomes a lighthouse keeper on the isolated island of Janus. When he marries a young, vibrant woman named Isabel, the two of them become the only inhabitants of  this small island, half a day's journey by boat from the shore. A supply boat comes every three months; the only link they have to civilization.

Even though they only have each other for human interaction, and must work very hard to maintain the island and the lighthouse, they are very happy. When Isabel becomes pregnant with their first child, she is ecstatic. But she miscarries, then becomes pregnant again and miscarries again. When her third pregnancy ends in the stillbirth of a son, Isabel sinks into a deep depression. Then one day, walking near the shore, she hears a baby's cry. And there, by the shoreline, is a boat with a dead man inside, and an infant wrapped in a woman's sweater.

Tom wants to summon help, but Isabel convinces him that the mother must be dead, for what mother would allow a baby to be taken from her and taken out to sea in a small boat? She manages to persuade Tom to let her keep the baby, against his better judgment. They pretend it is the child they were expecting, the one who was stillborn. For several years, they were all very happy, but a visit to the mainland changes everything.

This book is about the sometimes dire consequences of deception, even one that begins as a kindness.
Lives can be devastated, even those of the most innocent.

Highly recommended.

354 pages

"Waiting, Hoping, Wishing" by Nic Starr

This story takes place mostly in Sydney, Australia, where Dean and Matt have been best friends since high school when they came out of the closet together.  Now in their mid-20s, Dean is a plumber hoping to start his own business, and Matt works for a big company.  Dean has secretly loved Matt for years but never let him know for fear of rejection and loss of his friendship.  Unfortunately, Matt moved to Melbourne with his boyfriend a year ago, and Dean thinks he's lost his chance with him forever.  Then Matt and his boyfriend break up, and he tells Dean that he wants to move back to Sydney.  Will Dean ever tell Matt how he feels or will he go on being miserable without the man he loves?

This was a cute novella with two likable main characters and just enough miscommunication and angst to make me keep reading.  I really felt for Dean and his inability to get over Matt.  His family was supportive and pushed him to find happiness, but no one measured up to his best friend.  61 pages (Kindle edition).

"A Note in the Margin" by Isabelle Rowan

John McCann has taken a one year leave of absence from his job in the Australian corporate world to manage a small bookstore called Margins to get his stress under control.  One of the store's regulars is a quiet man named David who occupies a chair all day in the used books section.  At first, John wants to get rid of him and the reading chairs, but the store's owner's son, Jamie, has befriended David and talks John into leaving him alone.  David is homeless, something John has never had to deal with, and it makes him uncomfortable.  But one very cold night, John's humanity starts to reemerge when he lets David spend the night on his couch.  John soon realizes that beneath the scruff and dirt is a talented artist and sensitive man who needs help to get his life in order.

This was a wonderful story about the power of friendship, patience, and love that wasn't always an easy read.  David's homelessness and what he does to earn money are tough to read.  He has been horribly abused on the street, and it has caused him to run away whenever he feels scared or stressed.  He trusts no one, but John and Jamie do their best to convince him that they won't hurt him.  My only complaint is that the story was told from multiple points of view, and it was not always clear whose view the author was taking which sometimes confused me.  However, it was still a compelling and well-told human drama.  276 pages (Kindle edition).

"Her Favorite Temptation" by Sarah Mayberry

This very well written book focuses on Leah Mathews, a cardiothoracic surgeon who has decided to switch specialties.  However, her parents, who are also physicians, are disappointed and don't understand why.  Leah has always been the good daughter, dutifully minding her folks and doing her best to be what they want her to be, unlike her older sister, whom they treat as an afterthought.  Will Jones has moved into the apartment next to Leah for a short stay, and they become friends after she overhears him singing and playing the guitar on his balcony.  Little does she know that he's part of a Grammy winning duo and about to undergo a major operation that could change his life.

I really enjoyed the writing and the slow evolution of Leah and Will's friendship.  The reader especially sees the vulnerabilities in both characters and how their interactions with their families and each other either exacerbates or relieves them.  Leah and Will see each other at their worst and offer support like true friends do.  That's not always the case with the couples in romance novels, but this one is a step above most and very sweet.  I highly recommend it and am looking forward to reading more by this author.  179 pages (Kindle edition).

"Little Bat" by Tania Cox, Illustrated by Andrew McLean

I like bats and have several children's books on the subject.  Little Bat is unsure about taking her first flight, but will encouragement from her friends in the Australian rainforest where she and her mother live help her?  Big, colorful illustrations of unusual species will appeal to most children and adults.  30 pages.