Weaving us together by Lay Maloney

Lay Maloney's first book Weaving Us Together is a story of identity, belonging and strength told from the perspective of Jean O'Ryan, a non-binary Aboriginal adolescent in a coastal Queensland town (2011–2013). Jean experiences adolescence, reconnects with culture and discovers oneself alongside Seraphina Landry and her tight-knit friends, 'The Crew.' Jean and her friends experience difficulties and mend the traumas of the past and weave a tapestry of hope, grief, joy and love.

Maloney is a genderfluid Gumbaynggirr and Gunggandji author who infuses her writing with the authenticity of personal experience in tackling issues of gender identity, family, healing, and ethnic origins. The writing is acutely perceptive and describing of adolescent experience while making the story securely located in the rich landscape and communities that inform Jean's experience. The book has been praised by reviewers for its emotional strength and cultural resonance. Grace Lucas-Pennington identifies it as "poetic, hilarious and heartbreaking in turn," and celebrates the importance it represents for young readers seeking depiction and identification. Weaving Us Together is an emotive and compelling read for fans of present-day Australian writing, especially tales of exploration of Aboriginal life and queer culture. It provides a true account of discovering where one belongs in the world while raising a glass to endurance, camaraderie, and self-acceptance.

Jaibir S. (student)

Themes: Identity, belonging, personal growth, adolescence, aboriginal and LGBTQ+ identity.