The White Girl
Author: Tony Birch
Year of Release: 2019
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Release Date: 3rdJune 2019
Genre: Cultural Australia, Modern & Contemporary Fiction, General Fiction
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Two women trying to stay together along their journey, hoping to find something that has been lost to them both.
Admittedly cultural Australian stories aren’t books I pick up as they can feel all the same on the land, hardworking people, small town, one villain, one hero or heroine. Thankfully The White Girl wasn’t what I had been expecting. I found the writing to be easy to follow and yet still descriptive. The story has to be told right from the very first page, it pulls you into its clutches right to the last sentence on the final page.
The White Girl takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions; the way Aboriginals are treated in Australia particularly in the 1960s was and is still heartbreaking. At times this story and the events that unfold throughout the book made me angry, especially the Aboriginal Protection Act 1909-1969 which stated that Odette and Sissy were not permitted to leave the district without permission from Law enforcement.
The White Girl is told through the eyes of heroine Odette Brown, a grandmother, an elderly Aboriginal woman who has lived in the small town most of her life. I loved Odette, her kindness and support of others even when she herself might not have been shown those things was touching and made for a memorable character. Odette also has a fierce spirit burning within her, her determination to do right by her loved ones was infections and made for a book I couldn’t put down.
So many things were highlighted as a great read here for me. The writing in particular was what bought this story to life. I was able to see the country town where our story begins and its residents. It would be unfair for me to single out a favorite character. I believe everyone was well suited to the roles they played within the story, thus adding to the realism of the characters. Everyone played a part in this story, not just main or filler characters, which I have found can sometimes happen in a book. Odette was the perfect choice for the heroin in this story.
There was one point in the story where I could see what was about to take place, but I don’t think this changed my affection for the story whatsoever. I think it helped move the story along but for the most part, I was really happy to be kept guessing.
If The White Girl was to make any improvements it would be to find out exactly what was bothering Bill Shea. Although I have my theory, I hesitate to share this so as not to spoil this story for current or future readers.
Trigger Warning I strongly recommend this book for older teens and older readers as some plotlines might be distressing. Anyone who enjoys Cultural Australian or books set in Australia around Aboriginal culture shall enjoy The White Girl.
