HomeA story of homecoming, this absorbing novel opens with a young, city-based lawyer setting out on her first visit to ancestral country. Candice arrives at "the place where the rivers meet", the camp of the Eualeyai where in 1918 her grandmother Garibooli was abducted. As Garibooli takes up the story of Candice's Aboriginal family, the twentieth century falls away.Garibooli, renamed Elizabeth, is sent to work as a housemaid, but marriage soon offers escape from the terror of the master's night-time visits. Her displacement carries into the lives of her seven children - their stories witness to the impact of orphanage life and the consequences of having a dark skin in post-war Australia. Vividly rekindled, the lives of her family point the direction home for Candice.Home is a powerful and intelligent first novel from an author who understands both the capacity of language to suppress and the restorative potency of stories that bridge past and present. |
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able Aboriginal arms arrived asked became began believe better boys brother called Carole child close clothes continued Daisy Danny dark door dresses Elizabeth Euroke eyes face father fear feel felt friends Garibooli gave girl give given Granny Grigor hair hand happy hard head Henry hoped Howard keep knew land leave light live looked lost Lydia Madelaine married meet Miss Grainger mother move never night parents Pasquale passed Patricia realised remembered returned seemed seen sense side sister skin started stop stories Sydney taken talk tell things Thomas thought told took train travelled tree tried trying turned walked wanted watched wife woman women young