My place, for younger readers by Sally Morgan
Fremantle Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781925816761.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This latest publication of Sally
Morgan's iconic My place (1987), a classic of Australian
literature, is adapted for younger readers in this new edition with
a bright new cover taken from a screen print of the author's artwork
'Women of the Earth'. It is a long time since I read the original
book, but the things I remember are all still there, the
down-to-earth descriptions of family life, the humour and funny
stories. For me the stand-out memory is Morgan's anecdote of her
mother and future mother-in-law planting out stalks of fresh-cut and
plastic flowers in the garden the morning of Sally's wedding, and
her serendipitous purchase of a cream and gold Indian caftan for her
wedding dress just hours before the ceremony. This latest edition is
supposedly aimed at young readers but it is still a hefty book at
359 pages. Despite this, it retains its easy conversational style
and is sure to draw in readers across age groups. It truly is a
must-read account of early Aboriginal - white settler relations,
with its revelations of the life of Arthur Corunna, long-time
hard-working Aboriginal labourer and stockman; Gladys Corunna, taken
from her Aboriginal mother at the age of three and sent to
Parkerville Children's Home; and finally the long suppressed story
of Daisy Corunna, the unrecognised daughter of a white station owner
and long-standing servant to the family. This is Aboriginal history,
the personal stories and lived experience of people not recognised
in the accounts of the white history makers.
The suffering and deep sense of loss that is revealed in these
stories, and the long-lasting impact and sense of shame that
Morgan's family carried, hiding their heritage behind the deception
that they were of Indian descent, was brought out into the open in
Sally Morgan's original book and now deserves to be re-read again in
this latest edition. This new publication is a timely reminder of
our shared history and a most worthy addition to school libraries.
Themes: Aboriginal history, Stolen Generations, Identity, Racism.
Helen Eddy
