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cccccccccc's review against another edition
4.0
"Racism isn't killing the Australian dream. The Australian dream was founded on racism. From the time a British flag was planted in this soil, the rules have been different for us. A convict could come in chains and die free, a rich man. But British law condemned us to a longer sentence."
lottie1803's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, War, Violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Genocide, Racial slurs, and Racism
actkaye62's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book I have been waiting for and hoping for my entire life. If you are Australian, read this book.
Stan Grant - Thank you!
Stan Grant - Thank you!
ninaalamri's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
5.0
The words in this book flow like water in a stream and is an insightful read for non-Indigenous Australians. Especially those familiar with structural and personal racial discrimination in Australia. The language is easy to read and comprehend and Grant connects his web of experiences to the web of people in Australia today.
Grant talks of joy, hardships and the paradox of not belonging in Australia despite being an Indigenous Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man. This paradox that speaks to Australia’s history and ongoing treatment towards Aboriginal peoples since colonisation. There is a continuity throughout the text where he brings it back to his son, to convey his hopes and dreams which brings the reader back.
Grant talks of joy, hardships and the paradox of not belonging in Australia despite being an Indigenous Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man. This paradox that speaks to Australia’s history and ongoing treatment towards Aboriginal peoples since colonisation. There is a continuity throughout the text where he brings it back to his son, to convey his hopes and dreams which brings the reader back.
imoganthebogan's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Stan Grant is a gifted storyteller and writer. This personal memoir highlights his experiences growing up in Australia and then later as a successful international journalist and how he perceived the world (and how the world perceived him) as an Aboriginal man. The writing was immersive, extremely accessible and he was able to weave history, his personal experiences and insightful reflections about his relationship to his country seamlessly.
This was at times a very confrontation read however that is one of the reasons it is so important. Grant does not shy away from sharing the countless brutality, degradations and violence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have experienced (and continue to experience) from the both the British colonisers and modern Australian society.
I would highly recommend this book to every Australian as it provides real and raw context on the continued oppression of indigenous communities illustrated through Grant’s personal experiences.
This was at times a very confrontation read however that is one of the reasons it is so important. Grant does not shy away from sharing the countless brutality, degradations and violence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have experienced (and continue to experience) from the both the British colonisers and modern Australian society.
I would highly recommend this book to every Australian as it provides real and raw context on the continued oppression of indigenous communities illustrated through Grant’s personal experiences.
fureverlove's review against another edition
5.0
It's no wonder Stan Grant became a journalist and writer, he has a beautiful way with words. This book is a compilation of history, personal recollections and family history and he has woven these three aspects together beautifully. Rather than reading like a textbook, Grant manages to bring together historical facts whilst giving the reader a real feel for what it must have felt like.
A must read for every Australian, this book leaves me feeling disgusted, embarrassed, ashamed - but hopeful.
A must read for every Australian, this book leaves me feeling disgusted, embarrassed, ashamed - but hopeful.
nina_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
Talking To My Country by Stan Grant was released in early 2016 after the racial abuse of Indigenous footballer Adam Goodes heated up throughout 2015. The book is part memoir, part history lesson, part meditation on race and what it means to be an Australian. It is powerful and eye opening. A long form essay musing about identity. What is identity? What does it mean to have to justify your identity?
Talking To My Country chronicles Grant’s experiences of being an Indigenous man growing up and living in Australia, while at the same time highlighting the injustices Indigenous people in Australia have faced in recent history.
It is a meandering story which jumps through time and provides us with snippets of his past. It is clear than Grant is a gifted storyteller and this was an easy book to read though not an easy subject to read about. Nevertheless this is a book that all Australians should read if you want to open your mind and try to understand Indigenous people’s lived experiences of racism in Australia.
This is a highly recommended book.
Talking To My Country chronicles Grant’s experiences of being an Indigenous man growing up and living in Australia, while at the same time highlighting the injustices Indigenous people in Australia have faced in recent history.
It is a meandering story which jumps through time and provides us with snippets of his past. It is clear than Grant is a gifted storyteller and this was an easy book to read though not an easy subject to read about. Nevertheless this is a book that all Australians should read if you want to open your mind and try to understand Indigenous people’s lived experiences of racism in Australia.
This is a highly recommended book.
smitchy's review against another edition
5.0
Well, I am halfway through my challenge now and what a GREAT one to mark the occassion with! I'm not going to go into the details of this book for two reasons 1) I don't think I would do it justice and 2) I want you to read it!
How is this book not already on the Australian school curriculum? It is relevant, timely, necessary and interesting. Grant tells a massively personal story that is also the story of his people and this country.
If you are interested, even remotely, in understanding Australia's relationship with Indigenous Australians you need to read this.
I strongly suggest you pair it with "Terra Nullius" by Claire G. Coleman.
How is this book not already on the Australian school curriculum? It is relevant, timely, necessary and interesting. Grant tells a massively personal story that is also the story of his people and this country.
If you are interested, even remotely, in understanding Australia's relationship with Indigenous Australians you need to read this.
I strongly suggest you pair it with "Terra Nullius" by Claire G. Coleman.