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jess_mango's review
4.0
Anthology of over 50 essays by various contributors about their experiences growing up Aboriginal in Australia. There are a wide range of ages (people born around the time of WWII to those born in the 80s and 90s.) telling of their and their families’ lives. There are instances of bullying, low key and blatant racism. There are the truly sad stories about the Stolen Generation...children of Aboriginal descent taken from their families by the government from the early 1900s through the late 1960s.
tildahlia's review
4.0
Incredibly important read for all Australians. It's worth reading only a few at a time to avoid diluting their individual impact, as there are strong common themes that run throughout. Key things that stood out to me was how damaging colourism is, how little mainstream Australia knows about our First Peoples and ugh how awful school (especially history) is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I'm grateful to the contributors who shared their stories.
imoganthebogan's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
This was my first anthology and I’m so glad I picked it up. I had been searching for more of a personalised (rather than academic) book about First Nation individuals and this was so informative.
This collection of stories was well-compiled with the stories being both small and powerful. The main advantage this collection had was in its diverse representation of voices which meant, while there were similar themes such as respect, each story felt truely unique. It touched on both older and newer experiences in a way that was insightful and vulnerable.
This was the first book I’d read where First Nations people were talking about the difficulties associated with being a part of several cultures and having only one parent identify as indigenous. I think this is becoming more a prominent discussion in society and I thought this book gave us a real insight into the experiences of these people that feel they don’t belong anywhere.
This book was so easy to dip in and out of and give each story the respect it deserved, definitely recommend for people wanting to understand the many diverse experiences of growing up Aboriginal.
This collection of stories was well-compiled with the stories being both small and powerful. The main advantage this collection had was in its diverse representation of voices which meant, while there were similar themes such as respect, each story felt truely unique. It touched on both older and newer experiences in a way that was insightful and vulnerable.
This was the first book I’d read where First Nations people were talking about the difficulties associated with being a part of several cultures and having only one parent identify as indigenous. I think this is becoming more a prominent discussion in society and I thought this book gave us a real insight into the experiences of these people that feel they don’t belong anywhere.
This book was so easy to dip in and out of and give each story the respect it deserved, definitely recommend for people wanting to understand the many diverse experiences of growing up Aboriginal.
jayraams's review
5.0
This series is very important I highly recommend all the Growing up...in Australia books. This one is important, showing the varied faces of the First Nations people of Australia. As a white Australian I have no right to put my voice above theirs, so instead I recommend you sit down and listen with an open mind to their words and I pray you learn.