What do you think?
Rate this book
The White Girl
"A profound allegory of good and evil, and a deep exploration of human interaction, black and white, alternately beautiful and tender, cruel and unsettling."--Guardian
Australia's leading indigenous storyteller makes his American debut with this immersive and deeply resonant novel, set in the 1960s, that explores the lengths we'll go to save the people we love--an unforgettable story of one native Australian family and the racist government that threatens to separate them.
Odette Brown has lived her entire life on the fringes of Deane, a small Australian country town. Dark secrets simmer beneath the surface of Deane--secrets that could explain why Odette's daughter, Lila, left her one-year-old daughter, Sissy, and never came back, or why Sissy has white skin when her family is Aboriginal.
For thirteen years, Odette has quietly raised her granddaughter without drawing notice from welfare authorities who remove fair-skinned Aboriginal children from their families. But the arrival of a new policeman with cruel eyes and a rigid by-the-book attitude throws the Brown women's lives off-kilter. It will take all of Odette's courage and cunning to save Sissy from the authorities, and maybe even lead her to find her daughter.
Bolstered by love, smarts, and the strength of their ancestors, Odette and Sissy are an indomitable force, handling threats to their family and their own identities with grace and ingenuity, while never losing hope for themselves and their future.
In The White Girl, Miles Franklin Award-nominated author Tony Birch illuminates Australia's devastating post-colonial past--notably the government's racist policy of separating Indigenous children from their families, known today as the Stolen Generations--and introduces a tight-knit group of charming, inspiring characters who remind us of our shared humanity, and that kindness, hope, and love have no limits.
Australia's leading indigenous storyteller makes his American debut with this immersive and deeply resonant novel, set in the 1960s, that explores the lengths we'll go to save the people we love--an unforgettable story of one native Australian family and the racist government that threatens to separate them.
Odette Brown has lived her entire life on the fringes of Deane, a small Australian country town. Dark secrets simmer beneath the surface of Deane--secrets that could explain why Odette's daughter, Lila, left her one-year-old daughter, Sissy, and never came back, or why Sissy has white skin when her family is Aboriginal.
For thirteen years, Odette has quietly raised her granddaughter without drawing notice from welfare authorities who remove fair-skinned Aboriginal children from their families. But the arrival of a new policeman with cruel eyes and a rigid by-the-book attitude throws the Brown women's lives off-kilter. It will take all of Odette's courage and cunning to save Sissy from the authorities, and maybe even lead her to find her daughter.
Bolstered by love, smarts, and the strength of their ancestors, Odette and Sissy are an indomitable force, handling threats to their family and their own identities with grace and ingenuity, while never losing hope for themselves and their future.
In The White Girl, Miles Franklin Award-nominated author Tony Birch illuminates Australia's devastating post-colonial past--notably the government's racist policy of separating Indigenous children from their families, known today as the Stolen Generations--and introduces a tight-knit group of charming, inspiring characters who remind us of our shared humanity, and that kindness, hope, and love have no limits.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2019
276 people are currently reading
9,336 people want to read
About the author
Tony Birch
44 books330 followersTony Birch is the author of Ghost River, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing and Blood, which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. He is also the author of Shadowboxing and three short story collections, Father’s Day, The Promise and Common People. In 2017 he was awarded the Patrick White Literary Award. Tony is a frequent contributor to ABC local and national radio and a regular guest at writers’ festivals. He lives in Melbourne and is a Senior Research Fellow at Victoria University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 730 reviews
October 17, 2020
3.5★
“‘The last doctor I saw in this town was more than twenty years back. He was so afraid of touching me he stood on the other side of the room and washed his hands three times without even examining me.’”
Odette has a bit of pain in her side and has put off seeing a doctor. The fact that she’s aboriginal is only one reason. She is also the sole carer for her granddaughter, Sissy, who is only 13, and not only is she too young to be left alone if Odette needs treatment, she is at risk of being snatched up by the local cop if Odette’s not there to protect her.
This is Australia in the 1960s, when the federal Aboriginal Protection Act was still in force, so that the State controlled everything to do with Aboriginal people’s lives: where they could live, when they could come into town to shop, whether they could travel outside their region, and most importantly, whether they could keep their children who may have had white blood.
1960s. The era of the Stolen Generations.
https://australianstogether.org.au/di...
Sissy looks very white, but the town’s old cop, Bill, grew up with Odette and pretty much leaves well enough alone. However, a new cop, Sergeant Lowe, storm-troops his way in to take over, determined to inspect and control the black community. Odette has to apply to him for a travel certificate.
“Lowe continued reading from the file and didn’t look up. It was Odette’s file, containing information on her, including an amateurish family tree created by an early squatter and photographs of her taken by government officials who visited the mission to measure, weigh and test for intelligence.
. . .
After Odette complained about the deaths of her father and husband in the quarry accident, she was described as an overly headstrong native woman who appears to have forgotten her place in society.”
Her ensuing struggle is the subject of the story.
There is some great background about how Odette and Sissy live, their devotion to each other, and the loyalty of their close friends.
There is much to enjoy in this book as well as much to deplore about the conditions of the time. I enjoyed the affection between characters and the ways that some found to retaliate a little without getting into too much trouble.
When Sergeant Lowe is trying to find Odette and Sissy, he brings in Millie Khan for questioning. She stirs him up delightfully!
“‘I believe you are an acquaintance of Odette Brown?’
‘She’s no acquaintance of mine. Odette Brown is my closest friend.’
‘And when did you last see her?’
Millie had last seen Odette the day she’d returned from Joe Kane’s farm. She scratched the side of her head.
‘Well, I don’t think I could be really sure when that would have been. It may have been this week sometime. Or it could be the week before this one. You know how it is with us? My people, we’re not so good with dates and times. What’s that thing your people have? I reckon there’d be one in your office, on the wall there.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Lowe asked, his frustration growing.
‘What do you call that thing, with the numbers all over it? The calendar. That’s it. If I had my own calendar I could tell you what day I last saw that girl, Odette. I’ll have to ask my Yusie to get me one of them calendars for Christmas.’”
It was interesting for me to read, because I’m always interested in the subject. The writing style is basic, and there seemed to be some inconsistencies in the story, but overall, I enjoyed it for the background and the history.
“‘The last doctor I saw in this town was more than twenty years back. He was so afraid of touching me he stood on the other side of the room and washed his hands three times without even examining me.’”
Odette has a bit of pain in her side and has put off seeing a doctor. The fact that she’s aboriginal is only one reason. She is also the sole carer for her granddaughter, Sissy, who is only 13, and not only is she too young to be left alone if Odette needs treatment, she is at risk of being snatched up by the local cop if Odette’s not there to protect her.
This is Australia in the 1960s, when the federal Aboriginal Protection Act was still in force, so that the State controlled everything to do with Aboriginal people’s lives: where they could live, when they could come into town to shop, whether they could travel outside their region, and most importantly, whether they could keep their children who may have had white blood.
1960s. The era of the Stolen Generations.
https://australianstogether.org.au/di...
Sissy looks very white, but the town’s old cop, Bill, grew up with Odette and pretty much leaves well enough alone. However, a new cop, Sergeant Lowe, storm-troops his way in to take over, determined to inspect and control the black community. Odette has to apply to him for a travel certificate.
“Lowe continued reading from the file and didn’t look up. It was Odette’s file, containing information on her, including an amateurish family tree created by an early squatter and photographs of her taken by government officials who visited the mission to measure, weigh and test for intelligence.
. . .
After Odette complained about the deaths of her father and husband in the quarry accident, she was described as an overly headstrong native woman who appears to have forgotten her place in society.”
Her ensuing struggle is the subject of the story.
There is some great background about how Odette and Sissy live, their devotion to each other, and the loyalty of their close friends.
There is much to enjoy in this book as well as much to deplore about the conditions of the time. I enjoyed the affection between characters and the ways that some found to retaliate a little without getting into too much trouble.
When Sergeant Lowe is trying to find Odette and Sissy, he brings in Millie Khan for questioning. She stirs him up delightfully!
“‘I believe you are an acquaintance of Odette Brown?’
‘She’s no acquaintance of mine. Odette Brown is my closest friend.’
‘And when did you last see her?’
Millie had last seen Odette the day she’d returned from Joe Kane’s farm. She scratched the side of her head.
‘Well, I don’t think I could be really sure when that would have been. It may have been this week sometime. Or it could be the week before this one. You know how it is with us? My people, we’re not so good with dates and times. What’s that thing your people have? I reckon there’d be one in your office, on the wall there.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Lowe asked, his frustration growing.
‘What do you call that thing, with the numbers all over it? The calendar. That’s it. If I had my own calendar I could tell you what day I last saw that girl, Odette. I’ll have to ask my Yusie to get me one of them calendars for Christmas.’”
It was interesting for me to read, because I’m always interested in the subject. The writing style is basic, and there seemed to be some inconsistencies in the story, but overall, I enjoyed it for the background and the history.
May 3, 2022
Historically, it seems that everywhere there are white people and brown people the white people have intentionally and legally acted to separate the families of the brown people. Occasionally (but not always) the white people will apologize for that, centuries or decades later. In the case of Australia, the Aboriginal Protection Act deprived Aboriginals of all rights. They were not citizens of the country in which they were born. For example, children were removed from families, people were sorted by color, Aboriginals were told where they could live and work, they were forbidden from going to white towns except on specified days and they couldn’t travel without permission. The whites didn’t seem to see the irony in the word “protection”.
Set in the 1960s, this book is the story of Odette who is raising her granddaughter Sissy, a light skinned and blond 12 year old. The local police officer has mostly left them alone, but he is now being forced out of his job and the new Sargeant Lowe relishes the idea of enforcing the law and properly sorting out the local Aboriginals. Odette fears that Sissy will be taken from her, and Sissy also faces other threats.
I didn’t look at the author’s biography before I read the book, but it felt like it was written by an indigenous woman, not a white man. Odette’s relationships with the bullying, violent Kane family and with Henry, a mentally disabled childhood friend, were very well portrayed. All of the characters felt real, including the Aboriginals who help and protect Odette and Sissy. The horrible treatment of the Aboriginals was woven into the story organically, without melodrama. In some books that mistreatment is the whole story and the book turns into suffering porn. That is not the case here. It is a story of an extremely loving relationship and a very resilient woman.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Set in the 1960s, this book is the story of Odette who is raising her granddaughter Sissy, a light skinned and blond 12 year old. The local police officer has mostly left them alone, but he is now being forced out of his job and the new Sargeant Lowe relishes the idea of enforcing the law and properly sorting out the local Aboriginals. Odette fears that Sissy will be taken from her, and Sissy also faces other threats.
I didn’t look at the author’s biography before I read the book, but it felt like it was written by an indigenous woman, not a white man. Odette’s relationships with the bullying, violent Kane family and with Henry, a mentally disabled childhood friend, were very well portrayed. All of the characters felt real, including the Aboriginals who help and protect Odette and Sissy. The horrible treatment of the Aboriginals was woven into the story organically, without melodrama. In some books that mistreatment is the whole story and the book turns into suffering porn. That is not the case here. It is a story of an extremely loving relationship and a very resilient woman.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 6, 2020
Longlisted for the 2020 Miles Franklin Award.
Odette Brown and her twelve-year-old granddaughter, Sissy, share the same single bed. Squeezed together almost merging into one. While waiting for the kettle to fill with water from the tap outside, Odette’s gaze wanders over to the western boundary of Deane, the town across the dry riverbed. She looks down the dirt path that is still know as Deane’s Line today. The line had been drawn to separate the aboriginals from the white settlers and was named after the infamous Eli Deane, the town’s founder. That was over a century ago, but had things really improved?
A photograph on the wall of Odette’s daughter Lila, reminds her that it was once Lila who she shared the thin single bed with. The light skin of her granddaughter reminding her that the only thing they know about Sissy’s father is that he was white, his identity still a mystery. Lila had run away leaving Sissy in Odette's care. A sudden pain above her hip pulls her up short, it has been getting worse.
In chapter three the perspective will change to Sissy as she wakes from sleep and this will become a regular occurrence during the novel. Sissy also notices the photograph of her mother. Sissy longs to know more about her mother but Nan Odette gets upset when Sissy asks questions. Sissy makes a cup of tea and sees a figure in black through the window. She can only make out a silhouette but something about it fills her with foreboding.
The figure belongs to the new policeman who is replacing Bob Shea, a drunkard, who has mostly turned a blind eye to the aborigines through his career. Lowe is a strict disciplinarian and follows the law, upholding it to the letter. Perhaps one of the most alarming points is that Lowe truly believes that he is doing the best thing for the children and the mothers under his guardianship. Yet he is a zealot and a bigot, and revels in absolute power. Odette knows that there will be trouble with this Serjeant Lowe.
When she goes to the doctors about the pain, she finds out that it is a tumour, most likely benign, but it will have to be removed. She will have to travel to the city to have the operation and then recovery. She fears that this will give Serjeant Lowe the perfect excuse to sweep in and take Sissy away from her forever, another child lost to the Stolen Generation.
Odette and Sissy flee with the help of Bill Shea, coming up with a plan to visit a sickly relative in the city. But Lowe gets wind of the plan and will stop at nothing in tracking them down and returning them to his district to face the law, charge, and separate them.
Parts of this book are heartbreaking. Children being separated from their parents, taught about a god they had never heard of, and died from diseases, like whooping cough and measles which they had never encountered before. The only thing left to remember that they even existed were the wildflowers planted by their mothers that lay dormant until spring when they would sprout beautiful flowers to mark the unmarked graves.
There is a poignant part in the novel that brought me to tears where Odette finds out about a mother who had her children stolen away from her and was told a week later. She had no idea where they were, she was told she would never see them again, so she hangs herself in the church. I simply cannot fathom what it would be like to have your children taken away from you and told you will never see them again. And all of this was done in the “best interests” of the children and mother.
I am saddened to say that my knowledge of the Stolen Generation is regretfully limited, something I aim to rectify after reading this book. 4 Stars!
Odette Brown and her twelve-year-old granddaughter, Sissy, share the same single bed. Squeezed together almost merging into one. While waiting for the kettle to fill with water from the tap outside, Odette’s gaze wanders over to the western boundary of Deane, the town across the dry riverbed. She looks down the dirt path that is still know as Deane’s Line today. The line had been drawn to separate the aboriginals from the white settlers and was named after the infamous Eli Deane, the town’s founder. That was over a century ago, but had things really improved?
A photograph on the wall of Odette’s daughter Lila, reminds her that it was once Lila who she shared the thin single bed with. The light skin of her granddaughter reminding her that the only thing they know about Sissy’s father is that he was white, his identity still a mystery. Lila had run away leaving Sissy in Odette's care. A sudden pain above her hip pulls her up short, it has been getting worse.
In chapter three the perspective will change to Sissy as she wakes from sleep and this will become a regular occurrence during the novel. Sissy also notices the photograph of her mother. Sissy longs to know more about her mother but Nan Odette gets upset when Sissy asks questions. Sissy makes a cup of tea and sees a figure in black through the window. She can only make out a silhouette but something about it fills her with foreboding.
The figure belongs to the new policeman who is replacing Bob Shea, a drunkard, who has mostly turned a blind eye to the aborigines through his career. Lowe is a strict disciplinarian and follows the law, upholding it to the letter. Perhaps one of the most alarming points is that Lowe truly believes that he is doing the best thing for the children and the mothers under his guardianship. Yet he is a zealot and a bigot, and revels in absolute power. Odette knows that there will be trouble with this Serjeant Lowe.
When she goes to the doctors about the pain, she finds out that it is a tumour, most likely benign, but it will have to be removed. She will have to travel to the city to have the operation and then recovery. She fears that this will give Serjeant Lowe the perfect excuse to sweep in and take Sissy away from her forever, another child lost to the Stolen Generation.
Odette and Sissy flee with the help of Bill Shea, coming up with a plan to visit a sickly relative in the city. But Lowe gets wind of the plan and will stop at nothing in tracking them down and returning them to his district to face the law, charge, and separate them.
Parts of this book are heartbreaking. Children being separated from their parents, taught about a god they had never heard of, and died from diseases, like whooping cough and measles which they had never encountered before. The only thing left to remember that they even existed were the wildflowers planted by their mothers that lay dormant until spring when they would sprout beautiful flowers to mark the unmarked graves.
There is a poignant part in the novel that brought me to tears where Odette finds out about a mother who had her children stolen away from her and was told a week later. She had no idea where they were, she was told she would never see them again, so she hangs herself in the church. I simply cannot fathom what it would be like to have your children taken away from you and told you will never see them again. And all of this was done in the “best interests” of the children and mother.
I am saddened to say that my knowledge of the Stolen Generation is regretfully limited, something I aim to rectify after reading this book. 4 Stars!
May 20, 2020
A wonderfully written story. The loving connections between the decent characters are written with uplifting sensitivity. Despite their struggles, I didn't find this an oppressive reading experience.
There's so much I already have an inclination about from other reading and documentaries but there is nothing like being inside a character's head to really understand the impacts of what people go through under such oppression.
Really outstanding, so pleased it made it to the Miles Franklin longlist. It really did give me the impetus to open it and start reading.
Quite a quick read. Read in one sitting over about 4 hours. Left me with that great feeling you get after a satisfyingly reading experience.
There's so much I already have an inclination about from other reading and documentaries but there is nothing like being inside a character's head to really understand the impacts of what people go through under such oppression.
Really outstanding, so pleased it made it to the Miles Franklin longlist. It really did give me the impetus to open it and start reading.
Quite a quick read. Read in one sitting over about 4 hours. Left me with that great feeling you get after a satisfyingly reading experience.
July 8, 2019
Perhaps I shouldn’t question the opinion of one of Australia’s most prominent literary critics, but it seems to me that Geordie Williamson labelling the characterisation of this novel as "easy binaries" in his review* misses the point…
The White Girl is a story about people who’ve grown up in a binary world, among the powerless, the poor, the uneducated and the dispossessed. They have learned from their history and their own experiences not to trust people in positions of power – policemen, The Welfare, teachers, missionaries and bureaucrats. The story is set in the Menzies era, but today, they could add Centrelink to that list. And this attitude that the powerless inherit when they are young and sometimes carry with them into adulthood can translate into assumptions about the people they meet: good or evil; kindly or cruel; trustworthy or not; helpful or exploitative. Those who are fortunate need to understand that while it isn’t always a fair assumption to make, this short-hand binary view of the world can be a form of self-protection for an underclass. Depicting it in literature is a legitimate thing to do.
And in presenting this world the way Indigenous people too often experience it, Tony Birch isn’t lapsing into easy binaries: he’s a highly skilled, award-winning author who knows exactly what he’s doing: quite apart from using historically valid sources for his content, (which I’ve certainly come across in Indigenous memoir) Birch is not only offering a window into what can be an Indigenous view of the world, he’s also using recognisable character types just like Charles Dickens did when exposing social problems to an indifferent society. (But Birch is a good deal more economical than Dickens, the book is only 272 pages long, and written in piercingly deft contemporary prose).
On the verge of (illegally) leaving town Odette takes her granddaughter Sissy to visit the cemetery:
Yes.
And how to do that for a wider audience, is an author’s choice.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/07/08/t...
The White Girl is a story about people who’ve grown up in a binary world, among the powerless, the poor, the uneducated and the dispossessed. They have learned from their history and their own experiences not to trust people in positions of power – policemen, The Welfare, teachers, missionaries and bureaucrats. The story is set in the Menzies era, but today, they could add Centrelink to that list. And this attitude that the powerless inherit when they are young and sometimes carry with them into adulthood can translate into assumptions about the people they meet: good or evil; kindly or cruel; trustworthy or not; helpful or exploitative. Those who are fortunate need to understand that while it isn’t always a fair assumption to make, this short-hand binary view of the world can be a form of self-protection for an underclass. Depicting it in literature is a legitimate thing to do.
And in presenting this world the way Indigenous people too often experience it, Tony Birch isn’t lapsing into easy binaries: he’s a highly skilled, award-winning author who knows exactly what he’s doing: quite apart from using historically valid sources for his content, (which I’ve certainly come across in Indigenous memoir) Birch is not only offering a window into what can be an Indigenous view of the world, he’s also using recognisable character types just like Charles Dickens did when exposing social problems to an indifferent society. (But Birch is a good deal more economical than Dickens, the book is only 272 pages long, and written in piercingly deft contemporary prose).
On the verge of (illegally) leaving town Odette takes her granddaughter Sissy to visit the cemetery:
After visiting with her parents Odette walked Sissy past the other graves, explaining the connection she had to family and Odette’s childhood friends.
‘You need to know all of these people,’ she said, ‘and you must remember them.’
Sissy looked around at the headstones. ‘There’s a lot of people here, Nan. How will I remember all of them?’
‘Through the stories,’ Odette said. ‘I’m telling them to you, and it will be your job to remember. It’s just like the story in the book you’re reading. The story of the dog from Africa. You told me about that today, and already I can remember it. Our stories are not written in any books, which means you’ll need to keep telling them to your own family one day.’ (p.131)
Yes.
And how to do that for a wider audience, is an author’s choice.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/07/08/t...
August 14, 2021
What I loved most about The White Girl was it’s gentle storytelling, although it showcases the cruel treatment of the aboriginal people as late as the 1960’s where this story is set. This story was full of heart and tenderness it focused more on Odette an Aborginal woman who does everything to shield and protect her granddaughter Sissy from being removed from her care as was often done in those days. Odette faces mounting scrutiny when the new local Policeman starts taking an invested interest in them. While this book is sad in many parts I found this book full of heart and courage. The bond of Grandmother and Granddaughter and the connection to the land and their people a beautiful thread throughout this book. It gives hope when things look bleak and if nothing else it warms your heart and makes you believe in the goodness of people. It was just the book I needed in these dark times.
November 16, 2020
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The White Girl by Tony Birch. (2019).
Odette has lived her whole life on the fringes of a small country town. Raising her granddaughter Sissy on her own, Odette has managed to stay under the radar of the welfare authorities who are removing Aboriginal children from their communities. When the menacing Sergeant Lowe arrives in town, determined to fully enforce the law, any freedom that Odette and Sissy enjoy comes under grave threat. Odette must make an impossible choice to protect her family.
If you read this novel, I urge you to take the time to read the author's note at the end; it is not long at all, barely a page, but I found it extremely touching. This novel is set in Australia in the 1960s: a time where the Aboriginal Protection Act meant that the government were in complete control of Aboriginal people's lives. There is a scene where Odette is asking permission to travel which is ridiculous in itself that she would have to do that, and the malicious Sergeant just declines her request because he wants to; it's outrageous to even imagine. I appreciated the very strong love between Odette and her granddaughter Sissy, the titular girl who can pass as being white. Empathetic readers will find this story to be quite hard-hitting and emotional at times. Other readers may find this quite the eye-opening tale. I thought this book was very well-written and engaging; Odette felt like a real person for me.
I would recommend this book to those with an appreciation for Australian historical fiction as well as those who have an interest in Aboriginal culture and experiences.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The White Girl by Tony Birch. (2019).
Odette has lived her whole life on the fringes of a small country town. Raising her granddaughter Sissy on her own, Odette has managed to stay under the radar of the welfare authorities who are removing Aboriginal children from their communities. When the menacing Sergeant Lowe arrives in town, determined to fully enforce the law, any freedom that Odette and Sissy enjoy comes under grave threat. Odette must make an impossible choice to protect her family.
If you read this novel, I urge you to take the time to read the author's note at the end; it is not long at all, barely a page, but I found it extremely touching. This novel is set in Australia in the 1960s: a time where the Aboriginal Protection Act meant that the government were in complete control of Aboriginal people's lives. There is a scene where Odette is asking permission to travel which is ridiculous in itself that she would have to do that, and the malicious Sergeant just declines her request because he wants to; it's outrageous to even imagine. I appreciated the very strong love between Odette and her granddaughter Sissy, the titular girl who can pass as being white. Empathetic readers will find this story to be quite hard-hitting and emotional at times. Other readers may find this quite the eye-opening tale. I thought this book was very well-written and engaging; Odette felt like a real person for me.
I would recommend this book to those with an appreciation for Australian historical fiction as well as those who have an interest in Aboriginal culture and experiences.
January 13, 2024
The story is set in the early 1960s in small-town Australia—just prior to the electoral act amendment that extended the right to vote to all Aboriginal people. The focus of the book is on Odette Brown and her granddaughter, Cecily, called “Sissy”. Odette’s daughter, Lila, ran off to the capitol years earlier—shortly after Sissy’s birth.
Sergeant Lowe has been newly assigned to the town, and he’s determined to bring order back to this place. Before his arrival, retiring officer Bob Shea was in charge and known as a bit of a drunkard who turned a blind eye to pretty much everything that happened—good or bad. Lowe’s arrival brought tension to the area where he made it crystal clear that he’d be taking charge. Odette had one conversation with Lowe, and knew Sissy was in danger of being removed from her care. She felt this might be a good time to find Lila and leave Sissy in her care, so she hatched a plan for them to leave. Unfortunately, and perhaps due to her very light skin, Lowe seemed especially determined to bring Sissy under his authority, where he would turn her over for adoption to a white family. When Odette requested Lowe’s permission to leave town “to visit a sick cousin”, she was quickly denied. But, luckily, her old childhood friend, Bob Shea, overheard that conversation and arrived at her home very late one night, with two Travel Certificates in hand. He added his signature to each, as his final act as the town’s police.
From here the book turns focus to the two as they travel, conspicuously, to the capital, with no plans for their return. From here, I was completely transfixed. The book was excellent in many ways—so beautifully written and with a tremendous story demonstrating both Odette’s and Sissy’s strength of character. I know this book will stay with me for a long time because, aside from my great love for this book, I was horrified to learn—throughout the book—how poorly Aboriginal people have been treated. Sadly, widespread racism exists to this day across Australia. In fact, on 14 October 2023, Australia held a constitutional referendum, with mandatory voting by all eligible Australians. They were asked if they approved a proposed Law to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice that would allow them to make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to the First Peoples”. Astoundingly, the referendum was DEFEATED, with more than sixty per-cent voting NO to the proposed law.😞
Being a Canadian, I’m well aware that my own country’s Indigenous peoples have been treated horribly throughout the years, but after reading this book, it’s clear to me that Indigenous Australians were treated even worse. This is an important book and I recommend it very highly. Please, please, read this book.
5 “All-humans-are-born-free-and-equal” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sergeant Lowe has been newly assigned to the town, and he’s determined to bring order back to this place. Before his arrival, retiring officer Bob Shea was in charge and known as a bit of a drunkard who turned a blind eye to pretty much everything that happened—good or bad. Lowe’s arrival brought tension to the area where he made it crystal clear that he’d be taking charge. Odette had one conversation with Lowe, and knew Sissy was in danger of being removed from her care. She felt this might be a good time to find Lila and leave Sissy in her care, so she hatched a plan for them to leave. Unfortunately, and perhaps due to her very light skin, Lowe seemed especially determined to bring Sissy under his authority, where he would turn her over for adoption to a white family. When Odette requested Lowe’s permission to leave town “to visit a sick cousin”, she was quickly denied. But, luckily, her old childhood friend, Bob Shea, overheard that conversation and arrived at her home very late one night, with two Travel Certificates in hand. He added his signature to each, as his final act as the town’s police.
From here the book turns focus to the two as they travel, conspicuously, to the capital, with no plans for their return. From here, I was completely transfixed. The book was excellent in many ways—so beautifully written and with a tremendous story demonstrating both Odette’s and Sissy’s strength of character. I know this book will stay with me for a long time because, aside from my great love for this book, I was horrified to learn—throughout the book—how poorly Aboriginal people have been treated. Sadly, widespread racism exists to this day across Australia. In fact, on 14 October 2023, Australia held a constitutional referendum, with mandatory voting by all eligible Australians. They were asked if they approved a proposed Law to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice that would allow them to make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to the First Peoples”. Astoundingly, the referendum was DEFEATED, with more than sixty per-cent voting NO to the proposed law.😞
Being a Canadian, I’m well aware that my own country’s Indigenous peoples have been treated horribly throughout the years, but after reading this book, it’s clear to me that Indigenous Australians were treated even worse. This is an important book and I recommend it very highly. Please, please, read this book.
5 “All-humans-are-born-free-and-equal” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 19, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by AB Endacott
Since his first book of short stories, Shadowboxing, was published in 2006, Tony Birch has established himself as one of Australia’s premier authors. His latest and third full-length novel, The White Girl, only serves to remind us of this fact.
Odette Brown has lived her whole life on the fringes of a small country town. After her daughter disappeared and left her with her granddaughter Sissy to raise on her own, Odette has managed to stay under the radar of the welfare authorities who are removing fair-skinned Aboriginal children from their families. When a new policeman arrives in town, determined to enforce the law, Odette must risk everything to save Sissy and protect everything she loves.
The novel takes an uncompromising look at a time when the White Australia Policy governed the country and among the various acts under it, was the denial of citizenship to Aboriginal people citizenship, instead placing them under the legal guardianship of a local Protector. For this reason alone, the book is important. In Australian schools we are taught about the first dispossession of land and Stolen Generation, but there is a failure to examine the everyday – to understand how the law classified an entire group of people as ‘native fauna’ and yet didn’t offer them the legal protections that we give animals. Birch’s novel does this, and more.
Despite it being set amid a terrible and shameful part of history, this is an uplifting novel. It is about the fact that people are kind to others when there is no benefit to themselves. It is about the fact that the love of family is so powerful, so strong, that it can move mountains and defy corrupt systems. In the words of Birch’s daughter Siobhan, who officially launched the book, it is about the fact that at a time in history when people were given legal licence to do awful things to Aboriginal people, not everyone did. It is a book about the purity of love between kin, and the solidarity between people that makes life not merely survivable but ultimately, enjoyable. In the author’s note at the book’s conclusion, Birch says “I would not presume to tell the story of any child left behind to deal with loss and the resultant trauma. What I do hope for this novel, is that the love and bravery conveyed by Odette and Sissy provides some understanding of the tenacity and love within the hearts of those who suffered the theft of their own blood.” Birch’s focus is on the fact that Odette will do everything to prevent what so many could not, and the story which emerges is thus one of strength and loyalty and love, and it is wonderful.
Birch’s writing style is truly engaging. It immediately draws the reader in, presenting the elements of the story in a way that makes them deeply riveting from the first pages. Moreover, he writes with a deft touch. The description of the fictitious Deane and the landscape surrounding it is evocative so as to really ground the reader in the setting, but it is not so focused on description that it distracts from the plot. It’s a balance that’s hard to strike, but Birch does so beautifully. Moreover, the connection to and appreciation for the land – despite the history of the mistreatment to which it has born witness, is conveyed perfectly through the eyes of Odette. It’s nice to have a book that has quite a bit of action in it with an older protagonist, but regardless of her age, Odette is one of the most compelling characters I’ve encountered in a while. More than compelling though, she feels real.
At the launch, Birch said that he drew his inspiration from the women in his life, and the realisation which struck him one day that these woman would unhesitatingly die for their children. This book is a thank you to the women who would not be moved when it came to the protection and wellbeing of those they love. I can only recommend that you go out and buy a copy of this book.
Since his first book of short stories, Shadowboxing, was published in 2006, Tony Birch has established himself as one of Australia’s premier authors. His latest and third full-length novel, The White Girl, only serves to remind us of this fact.
Odette Brown has lived her whole life on the fringes of a small country town. After her daughter disappeared and left her with her granddaughter Sissy to raise on her own, Odette has managed to stay under the radar of the welfare authorities who are removing fair-skinned Aboriginal children from their families. When a new policeman arrives in town, determined to enforce the law, Odette must risk everything to save Sissy and protect everything she loves.
The novel takes an uncompromising look at a time when the White Australia Policy governed the country and among the various acts under it, was the denial of citizenship to Aboriginal people citizenship, instead placing them under the legal guardianship of a local Protector. For this reason alone, the book is important. In Australian schools we are taught about the first dispossession of land and Stolen Generation, but there is a failure to examine the everyday – to understand how the law classified an entire group of people as ‘native fauna’ and yet didn’t offer them the legal protections that we give animals. Birch’s novel does this, and more.
Despite it being set amid a terrible and shameful part of history, this is an uplifting novel. It is about the fact that people are kind to others when there is no benefit to themselves. It is about the fact that the love of family is so powerful, so strong, that it can move mountains and defy corrupt systems. In the words of Birch’s daughter Siobhan, who officially launched the book, it is about the fact that at a time in history when people were given legal licence to do awful things to Aboriginal people, not everyone did. It is a book about the purity of love between kin, and the solidarity between people that makes life not merely survivable but ultimately, enjoyable. In the author’s note at the book’s conclusion, Birch says “I would not presume to tell the story of any child left behind to deal with loss and the resultant trauma. What I do hope for this novel, is that the love and bravery conveyed by Odette and Sissy provides some understanding of the tenacity and love within the hearts of those who suffered the theft of their own blood.” Birch’s focus is on the fact that Odette will do everything to prevent what so many could not, and the story which emerges is thus one of strength and loyalty and love, and it is wonderful.
Birch’s writing style is truly engaging. It immediately draws the reader in, presenting the elements of the story in a way that makes them deeply riveting from the first pages. Moreover, he writes with a deft touch. The description of the fictitious Deane and the landscape surrounding it is evocative so as to really ground the reader in the setting, but it is not so focused on description that it distracts from the plot. It’s a balance that’s hard to strike, but Birch does so beautifully. Moreover, the connection to and appreciation for the land – despite the history of the mistreatment to which it has born witness, is conveyed perfectly through the eyes of Odette. It’s nice to have a book that has quite a bit of action in it with an older protagonist, but regardless of her age, Odette is one of the most compelling characters I’ve encountered in a while. More than compelling though, she feels real.
At the launch, Birch said that he drew his inspiration from the women in his life, and the realisation which struck him one day that these woman would unhesitatingly die for their children. This book is a thank you to the women who would not be moved when it came to the protection and wellbeing of those they love. I can only recommend that you go out and buy a copy of this book.
October 1, 2024
The story was really important and I'm glad I read it for that reason, but as a whole I felt like something was missing. I wanted a bit more depth from the characters, and the ending felt rushed. It was like the whole book was moving at a steady pace, and then suddenly fastfastfast, BAM, over. Not everything was wrapped up, and the epilogue didn't help much, but I don't regret reading (technically, listening to) this.
May 16, 2022
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Random Things Tours.
The White Girl is an emotional, historical fiction set in the 1960s in a fictional town in Australia. The book follows Odette (an elderly Aboriginal lady) and her Granddaughter Sissy. Sissy was abandoned into her grandmother's care by her mother when only a baby. Odette has never given up hope of one day finding her daughter and finding out why she abandoned her daughter and just vanished.
This book is set during the times when the Federal Aboriginal Protection Act was still in force and is an eye opening account of what people of Aboriginal backgrounds faced. When a new sherif comes to town, Odette fears losing Sissy for good to the system. Seen as a ward of the state it's only a matter of time until they claim her. Odette has been dodging the welfare authorities for years and fears time is running out. She applies for a travel certificate but is denied. When her old friend intervenes and grants it for her, Odette finally can flee with Sissy - but the unknown future awaits and could go one of two ways - a new beginning or Sissy being lost for good.
This book is spellbinding it its story and I couldn't pull away once I started reading. This is a real eye opener to what happened 60 years ago and beyond and how much Indigenous people suffered and went through. There were some heartwarming and fun moments in this book and I just wanted to hug Odette! Definitely one to read!
The White Girl is an emotional, historical fiction set in the 1960s in a fictional town in Australia. The book follows Odette (an elderly Aboriginal lady) and her Granddaughter Sissy. Sissy was abandoned into her grandmother's care by her mother when only a baby. Odette has never given up hope of one day finding her daughter and finding out why she abandoned her daughter and just vanished.
This book is set during the times when the Federal Aboriginal Protection Act was still in force and is an eye opening account of what people of Aboriginal backgrounds faced. When a new sherif comes to town, Odette fears losing Sissy for good to the system. Seen as a ward of the state it's only a matter of time until they claim her. Odette has been dodging the welfare authorities for years and fears time is running out. She applies for a travel certificate but is denied. When her old friend intervenes and grants it for her, Odette finally can flee with Sissy - but the unknown future awaits and could go one of two ways - a new beginning or Sissy being lost for good.
This book is spellbinding it its story and I couldn't pull away once I started reading. This is a real eye opener to what happened 60 years ago and beyond and how much Indigenous people suffered and went through. There were some heartwarming and fun moments in this book and I just wanted to hug Odette! Definitely one to read!
May 26, 2022
The White Girl is the first book I’ve read by Tony Birch, an author I had never come across before being invited to participate in this blog tour. However on the strength of this book I’ll definitely be searching out more of his work.
“Trouble? Our people have been in one sort of trouble or another from the first day we set eyes on a white person.”
I knew vaguely about the discrimination faced by the indigenous people of Australia but the experiences of Odette and her granddaughter gave me a first-hand insight into the daily realities of their lives: enforced segregation, the separation of families, restrictions on freedom of movement and the withholding of the right to citizenship. I found it shocking to think that the sort of discrimination one might associate with the period before the abolition of slavery could still be taking place in Australia in the 1960s.
Alongside the state-sponsored discrimination, Odette and fellow Aboriginal people are subject to racial abuse and threats of violence meaning they need to exercise caution about where they go or what they say, all the time on their guard in case they breach the petty rules governing their lives. Such an environment acts as a kind of shield for those with violent and racist inclinations.
The despicable attitude towards Aboriginal people is exemplified in the character of Sergeant Lowe whose warped sense of superiority (reinforced by the legal framework of the ironically named Aborigines Protection Act) convinces him he has a duty to ‘protect’ the children of indigenous families. ‘He would begin with auditing each of the Aboriginal children under his guardianship with a view to deciding the best outcome for their future welfare.’ That ‘welfare’ includes removing children from their families and placing them in institutions.
Odette is the most wonderful character who demonstrates amazing fortitude and a willingness to put the interests of her granddaughter, Sissy, before her own. The relationship between Odette and Sissy is lovely too, with Sissy showing an increasing maturity as the book progresses and that she has inherited the sharp wits of her grandmother. I also loved Odette’s friend, Millie Khan, one of the few people who has the courage to confront Lowe. ‘Oh, you’ve looked after the welfare of our young girls for a long time now. Most of them are dead, disappeared or were sent mad by what you did to them in the institutions.’
In the book’s poignant epilogue, we learn just what Odette’s love and determination has achieved but also the tragic consequences of the discrimination meted out to the indigenous people of Australia.
The White Girl is a beautifully written and absolutely enthralling story of unconditional love and courage in the face of adversity.
“Trouble? Our people have been in one sort of trouble or another from the first day we set eyes on a white person.”
I knew vaguely about the discrimination faced by the indigenous people of Australia but the experiences of Odette and her granddaughter gave me a first-hand insight into the daily realities of their lives: enforced segregation, the separation of families, restrictions on freedom of movement and the withholding of the right to citizenship. I found it shocking to think that the sort of discrimination one might associate with the period before the abolition of slavery could still be taking place in Australia in the 1960s.
Alongside the state-sponsored discrimination, Odette and fellow Aboriginal people are subject to racial abuse and threats of violence meaning they need to exercise caution about where they go or what they say, all the time on their guard in case they breach the petty rules governing their lives. Such an environment acts as a kind of shield for those with violent and racist inclinations.
The despicable attitude towards Aboriginal people is exemplified in the character of Sergeant Lowe whose warped sense of superiority (reinforced by the legal framework of the ironically named Aborigines Protection Act) convinces him he has a duty to ‘protect’ the children of indigenous families. ‘He would begin with auditing each of the Aboriginal children under his guardianship with a view to deciding the best outcome for their future welfare.’ That ‘welfare’ includes removing children from their families and placing them in institutions.
Odette is the most wonderful character who demonstrates amazing fortitude and a willingness to put the interests of her granddaughter, Sissy, before her own. The relationship between Odette and Sissy is lovely too, with Sissy showing an increasing maturity as the book progresses and that she has inherited the sharp wits of her grandmother. I also loved Odette’s friend, Millie Khan, one of the few people who has the courage to confront Lowe. ‘Oh, you’ve looked after the welfare of our young girls for a long time now. Most of them are dead, disappeared or were sent mad by what you did to them in the institutions.’
In the book’s poignant epilogue, we learn just what Odette’s love and determination has achieved but also the tragic consequences of the discrimination meted out to the indigenous people of Australia.
The White Girl is a beautifully written and absolutely enthralling story of unconditional love and courage in the face of adversity.
November 3, 2021
I love reading internationally and Australia is usually good for a terrifying outback adventure, but this is something completely different…a story that takes the readers back in time and presents life in the country from an Aboriginal perspective.
That alone should tell you it isn’t going to be a conventionally happy story or an easy read. Since historical events are the same world-over for people who recognize patterns, the living conditions of the Aboriginal people of Australia should surprise no one, for they strongly echo those of The First People in Canada or Native Americans in the US. The white men came and imposed their rule, the local natives were brutally forced into submission, assimilation, etc. Deprived of basic rights. Made second class citizens, at best. It’s horrific, deplorable and (for the misanthropes, at least) all too accurately representative of the ways of the world.
In Australia in 1960/1961 when this novel takes place, The Aboriginal people were more or less at the mercy of the merciless state, subjugated, oppressed, and limited in many ways of life. This is a story of one such family, a grandmother, Odette, and her beloved twelve-year-old granddaughter, Sissy. Sissy’s mother never told anyone who Sissy’s father was, she had her daughter young and then took off. Whoever he was, he was obviously a white man, so the girl grew up blonde and with fair enough of a complexion to pass for a titular white girl. It is this crucial fact that allows Odette to make a desperate play for freedom from under the thumb of the fascist-like new local police officer and, pretending to be her grandchild’s nanny, take them both to the city, to try to find a happier fate.
This might be the first story I’ve read told from an Aboriginal perspective and it was as emotionally devastating, engaging and poignant as a story like that ought to be. Such a great character driven drama with such likable, strong, compelling characters. A quiet story in a way, but one that really draws you in and makes for an excellent read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
That alone should tell you it isn’t going to be a conventionally happy story or an easy read. Since historical events are the same world-over for people who recognize patterns, the living conditions of the Aboriginal people of Australia should surprise no one, for they strongly echo those of The First People in Canada or Native Americans in the US. The white men came and imposed their rule, the local natives were brutally forced into submission, assimilation, etc. Deprived of basic rights. Made second class citizens, at best. It’s horrific, deplorable and (for the misanthropes, at least) all too accurately representative of the ways of the world.
In Australia in 1960/1961 when this novel takes place, The Aboriginal people were more or less at the mercy of the merciless state, subjugated, oppressed, and limited in many ways of life. This is a story of one such family, a grandmother, Odette, and her beloved twelve-year-old granddaughter, Sissy. Sissy’s mother never told anyone who Sissy’s father was, she had her daughter young and then took off. Whoever he was, he was obviously a white man, so the girl grew up blonde and with fair enough of a complexion to pass for a titular white girl. It is this crucial fact that allows Odette to make a desperate play for freedom from under the thumb of the fascist-like new local police officer and, pretending to be her grandchild’s nanny, take them both to the city, to try to find a happier fate.
This might be the first story I’ve read told from an Aboriginal perspective and it was as emotionally devastating, engaging and poignant as a story like that ought to be. Such a great character driven drama with such likable, strong, compelling characters. A quiet story in a way, but one that really draws you in and makes for an excellent read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
March 23, 2024
Odette Brown is an Aboriginal woman living with her granddaughter Sissy. Sissy has whiter skin than the rest of the community and because of this, Odette has raised her quietly to avoid the welfare authorities interfering. This is a story about identity, ancestry, discrimination, and Australia’s post-colonial past.
I am in awe. This book is short and it had me feeling a roller coaster of emotions and googling all the time. Some of the topics covered, such as the Stolen Generations, I was familiar with. But many of the things mentioned had me running to Wikipedia to make sense of it all (citizenship rights, welfare, exception rights…). It was as educational as it was harrowing to read. However, I do want to say it is not entirely harrowing. The main character, Odette, is a hard woman and she carries this book solidly, by the end of it I was crying happy tears.
The characters are all divine. Everyone is flawed and human, and you can help to care for them, but some of them (the Kanes and Lowe) were vile. I honestly have not hated a character as badly as I hated Lowe in ages. But regardless, Odette and Sissy felt so real. The heart of this book was the good characters it had in it (the doctor, Millie, Henry, Wanda, Jack, and Alma). The ending wrapped the story beautifully for all the characters and everyone sort of got what they deserved, like it was sort of perfect.
I can’t say much without spoiling so I’ll end it here, but I highly recommend it to anyone who’s enjoyed The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and The Secret Life of Bees.
Bits I highlighted:
‘You’d need to search a long time to find anyone who’d work that hard for us. Aboriginal people, we do all the work.’
----
Lowe continued reading from the file and didn’t look up. It was Odette’s file, containing information on her, including an amateurish family tree created by an early squatter and photographs of her taken by government officials who visited the mission to measure, weigh and test for intelligence. The file also contained a copy of a letter written by Odette’s father, Ruben, demanding he not be separated from his child on the mission; a plea that was ignored. Odette was only saved from a life of institutionalisation when Ruben was given a job at the mine and accommodation at Quarrytown. The file also included Odette’s school reports, her employment record as a domestic servant, and a strident letter written by a member of the mining board. After Odette complained about the deaths of her father and husband in the quarry accident, she was described as an overly headstrong native woman who appears to have forgotten her place in society.
----
‘You need to know all of these people,’ she said, ‘and you must remember them.’
Sissy looked around at the headstones. ‘There’s a lot of people here, Nan. How will I remember all of them?’
‘Through the stories,’ Odette said. ‘I’m telling them to you, and it will be your job to remember. It’s just like the story in the book you’re reading. The story of the dog from Africa. You told me about that today, and already I can remember it. Our stories are not written in any books, which means you’ll need to keep telling them to your own family one day.’
----
‘We’re in trouble, aren’t we, Nan?’
Odette actually laughed, surprising her granddaughter. ‘Trouble? Our people have been in one sort of trouble or another from the first day we set eyes on a white person.’
----
‘The child, Cecily, must be returned to Deane, for her own welfare.’
‘Welfare? Oh, you’ve looked after the welfare of our young girls for a long time now. Most of them are dead, disappeared, or were sent mad by what you did to them in the institutions. That’s not welfare, Sergeant. I think your own law would call that murder.’
I am in awe. This book is short and it had me feeling a roller coaster of emotions and googling all the time. Some of the topics covered, such as the Stolen Generations, I was familiar with. But many of the things mentioned had me running to Wikipedia to make sense of it all (citizenship rights, welfare, exception rights…). It was as educational as it was harrowing to read. However, I do want to say it is not entirely harrowing. The main character, Odette, is a hard woman and she carries this book solidly, by the end of it I was crying happy tears.
The characters are all divine. Everyone is flawed and human, and you can help to care for them, but some of them (the Kanes and Lowe) were vile. I honestly have not hated a character as badly as I hated Lowe in ages. But regardless, Odette and Sissy felt so real. The heart of this book was the good characters it had in it (the doctor, Millie, Henry, Wanda, Jack, and Alma). The ending wrapped the story beautifully for all the characters and everyone sort of got what they deserved, like it was sort of perfect.
I can’t say much without spoiling so I’ll end it here, but I highly recommend it to anyone who’s enjoyed The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and The Secret Life of Bees.
Bits I highlighted:
‘You’d need to search a long time to find anyone who’d work that hard for us. Aboriginal people, we do all the work.’
----
Lowe continued reading from the file and didn’t look up. It was Odette’s file, containing information on her, including an amateurish family tree created by an early squatter and photographs of her taken by government officials who visited the mission to measure, weigh and test for intelligence. The file also contained a copy of a letter written by Odette’s father, Ruben, demanding he not be separated from his child on the mission; a plea that was ignored. Odette was only saved from a life of institutionalisation when Ruben was given a job at the mine and accommodation at Quarrytown. The file also included Odette’s school reports, her employment record as a domestic servant, and a strident letter written by a member of the mining board. After Odette complained about the deaths of her father and husband in the quarry accident, she was described as an overly headstrong native woman who appears to have forgotten her place in society.
----
‘You need to know all of these people,’ she said, ‘and you must remember them.’
Sissy looked around at the headstones. ‘There’s a lot of people here, Nan. How will I remember all of them?’
‘Through the stories,’ Odette said. ‘I’m telling them to you, and it will be your job to remember. It’s just like the story in the book you’re reading. The story of the dog from Africa. You told me about that today, and already I can remember it. Our stories are not written in any books, which means you’ll need to keep telling them to your own family one day.’
----
‘We’re in trouble, aren’t we, Nan?’
Odette actually laughed, surprising her granddaughter. ‘Trouble? Our people have been in one sort of trouble or another from the first day we set eyes on a white person.’
----
‘The child, Cecily, must be returned to Deane, for her own welfare.’
‘Welfare? Oh, you’ve looked after the welfare of our young girls for a long time now. Most of them are dead, disappeared, or were sent mad by what you did to them in the institutions. That’s not welfare, Sergeant. I think your own law would call that murder.’
August 14, 2020
Tony Birch knows how to get his points across without wasting pages of repetitive angst, side lines or peripheral characters. And his points remain relative today.
This novel is set in the 60s prior to the referendum which gained Aborigines the right to Australian citizenship. Until then they were under various white man laws all designed to control, demean and depersonalise them.
Odette is an ageing grandmother living on the wrong side of a dying outback town raising her 13 year old daughter. Odette is a wise, intelligent woman who is talented, empathetic and kind. She has experienced the worse of the worse imposed on her and her family and aims at protecting and providing for her granddaughter.
A new cop enters town. He is arrogant and self appointed protector of morals, relishes his role as the protector of the dozen or so Aborigines still in town. Odette sees the threat he possesses and is forced to make some necessary decisions.
This book packs a punch, humanises victims and paints racism and bigotry for the evil they are.
This novel is set in the 60s prior to the referendum which gained Aborigines the right to Australian citizenship. Until then they were under various white man laws all designed to control, demean and depersonalise them.
Odette is an ageing grandmother living on the wrong side of a dying outback town raising her 13 year old daughter. Odette is a wise, intelligent woman who is talented, empathetic and kind. She has experienced the worse of the worse imposed on her and her family and aims at protecting and providing for her granddaughter.
A new cop enters town. He is arrogant and self appointed protector of morals, relishes his role as the protector of the dozen or so Aborigines still in town. Odette sees the threat he possesses and is forced to make some necessary decisions.
This book packs a punch, humanises victims and paints racism and bigotry for the evil they are.
December 28, 2021
The cruelty of the government policies of "uplifting" indigenous aboriginal populations is made visible through Odette and her granddaughter, Sissy. Their journey in 1960's Australia form the centerpiece of this page turner, written with heart and grace by award winner Tony Birch.
January 3, 2023
This book breathed life into the absolute horror of the Aboriginal Protection Act. The way it dominated the movement, freedoms and waking hours of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; while I was aware of the historical documentation – from a distanced academic perspective – it was shocking to unpack the emotional turmoil these racist policies encouraged, and the intergenerational impacts.
I had to scour my local library to find books authored by Indigenous Australians. I even enlisted the help of the librarians; there simply aren’t enough books available in my town. A large percentage of the books that were labelled as ‘Indigenous’, were actually authored by white Australians about Indigenous issues. A subtle hint that Indigenous authors still aren't afforded space.
I had to scour my local library to find books authored by Indigenous Australians. I even enlisted the help of the librarians; there simply aren’t enough books available in my town. A large percentage of the books that were labelled as ‘Indigenous’, were actually authored by white Australians about Indigenous issues. A subtle hint that Indigenous authors still aren't afforded space.
July 22, 2019
Author Tony Birch’s prose, simple and spare, tells a powerful story whilst hinting at a much more intricate background. It is this undercurrent of history that informs the reader and communicates messages about the complexities of cultural change and prejudices. His latest novel The White Girl (UQP 2019) is an unpretentious story of a girl and her grandmother, the love they share, the courage they need to challenge the rules, and the obstacles they must overcome to remain together.
It is the 1960’s and Australia’s referendum has yet to occur. Odette Brown has lived all her life on the Aboriginal fringes of a small country town. Her daughter, Lila, disappeared years earlier, and Odette has raised her granddaughter, Sissy, with a fierce protectiveness, teaching her to respect the ways of the old people and of country. But Indigenous locals are still under the control and ‘protection’ of the Act, ignored by some but followed vigorously by others. Government welfare authorities consider it their moral duty to remove Aboriginal children from their parents and place them in institutions or with other families, and the paler the skin of the child, the more likely he or she is to be targeted. Sissy, with her native mother but white father, is constantly at risk. Although Odette and Sissy are occasionally treated well by white people (by Henry Lamb, the local junk trader) or helpfully ignored (by Bill Shea, the town’s alcoholic policeman), Odette is ever watchful of other white families who may wish her and her granddaughter harm, and her fear is heightened when a new and strident policeman comes to town. With threats from all sides, Odette must make difficult choices about her life and Sissy’s future.
Birch’s books are so readable and engaging. The characters come immediately to life; even the young missing mother, Lila, is a forceful presence. And it is strong women who dominate this story: Odette, Sissy, Millie, Wanda, Alma – all bear the brunt of the terrible effects of the laws and inhumane practices of the time, all are enduring and indomitable, all bear witness to the scars of the past and hold out hope for a better future for their families.
We hear often about the Stolen Generation, about authorities removing children from their parents. But it is perhaps only when we hear or read a story about a particular child from a specific family that the abstract becomes something solid and immutable from which we cannot turn away. Even in a fictional tale such as The White Girl, the emotional pain and truth of the situation cannot be denied. And although Odette Brown is a figment of Tony Birch’s imagination, she is a mosaic pieced together from all the real Aboriginal women of her time; she is a magnificent, quiet heroine, and a woman that will stay with me.
It is the 1960’s and Australia’s referendum has yet to occur. Odette Brown has lived all her life on the Aboriginal fringes of a small country town. Her daughter, Lila, disappeared years earlier, and Odette has raised her granddaughter, Sissy, with a fierce protectiveness, teaching her to respect the ways of the old people and of country. But Indigenous locals are still under the control and ‘protection’ of the Act, ignored by some but followed vigorously by others. Government welfare authorities consider it their moral duty to remove Aboriginal children from their parents and place them in institutions or with other families, and the paler the skin of the child, the more likely he or she is to be targeted. Sissy, with her native mother but white father, is constantly at risk. Although Odette and Sissy are occasionally treated well by white people (by Henry Lamb, the local junk trader) or helpfully ignored (by Bill Shea, the town’s alcoholic policeman), Odette is ever watchful of other white families who may wish her and her granddaughter harm, and her fear is heightened when a new and strident policeman comes to town. With threats from all sides, Odette must make difficult choices about her life and Sissy’s future.
Birch’s books are so readable and engaging. The characters come immediately to life; even the young missing mother, Lila, is a forceful presence. And it is strong women who dominate this story: Odette, Sissy, Millie, Wanda, Alma – all bear the brunt of the terrible effects of the laws and inhumane practices of the time, all are enduring and indomitable, all bear witness to the scars of the past and hold out hope for a better future for their families.
We hear often about the Stolen Generation, about authorities removing children from their parents. But it is perhaps only when we hear or read a story about a particular child from a specific family that the abstract becomes something solid and immutable from which we cannot turn away. Even in a fictional tale such as The White Girl, the emotional pain and truth of the situation cannot be denied. And although Odette Brown is a figment of Tony Birch’s imagination, she is a mosaic pieced together from all the real Aboriginal women of her time; she is a magnificent, quiet heroine, and a woman that will stay with me.
June 2, 2019
Another incredible story by Tony Birch, this book is a story about family, hope, freedom and courage. As always, Tony creates the most wonderful characters; Odette’s strength, Henry Lamb’s gentleness and generosity and Sergeant Lowe’s cruelty (‘if there was good in men such as Sergeant Lowe and Joe Kane, then it must be buried deeply ...’) The story ends beautifully and although I was sad to finish the book, there was no need for the story to continue. I’ll have to re-read it instead. A simple, yet stunningly written, story that touches on complex issues set during a dark era in Australia’s history.
March 22, 2022
"Australia’s leading indigenous storyteller makes his American debut with this immersive and deeply resonant novel, set in the 1960s, that explores the lengths we’ll go to save the people we love—an unforgettable story of one native Australian family and the racist government that threatens to separate them."
The author writes with an unmatched authenticity of a lifetime of residency in Australia.
The author is not afraid to lay the truth on the line in "The White Girl" . Though fiction, it is based on Australia's not to distant past when the government had a racist policy of separating Indigenous children from their family. Today we know this as Stolen Generations.
The story focuses on one family, a grandmother who has raised her granddaughter after her mother disappears. We can feel the strength,courage and love these women have.
These characters will inspire us to be strong and remind us a little kindness goes a long way.
Highly recommended!
Pub Date 15 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
The author writes with an unmatched authenticity of a lifetime of residency in Australia.
The author is not afraid to lay the truth on the line in "The White Girl" . Though fiction, it is based on Australia's not to distant past when the government had a racist policy of separating Indigenous children from their family. Today we know this as Stolen Generations.
The story focuses on one family, a grandmother who has raised her granddaughter after her mother disappears. We can feel the strength,courage and love these women have.
These characters will inspire us to be strong and remind us a little kindness goes a long way.
Highly recommended!
Pub Date 15 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
July 18, 2022
The story line drew me along, and there was a lot of heart in it, but the scenes felt distant, the danger not really palpable.
December 22, 2024
An emotional story about a strong Aboriginal woman, Odette Brown and her light skinned granddaughter, Sissy. It’s set in the 60s before citizenship and the threat of children being taken from their families and their lives being controlled by often mean spirited and racist local white officials. Great writing and characters.
August 5, 2020
Odette, an Aboriginal woman, tries to protect her granddaughter from the welfare authorities in 1960s Australia.
Sympathetic characters & gives you an insight into life as an Aboriginal family in that time & racist attitudes that persist today. But the writing is a bit pedestrian, with little narrative tension, & I felt it was more about the history & the issues than telling a great story. I would have preferred more plot & less explaining.
I’ve enjoyed Tony Birch’s short stories so maybe his writing works better in that form (for me). This has almost a YA tone which is not my thing.
Would be a good entry point for YA readers to empathise with Aboriginal Australians and what they have suffered.
Sympathetic characters & gives you an insight into life as an Aboriginal family in that time & racist attitudes that persist today. But the writing is a bit pedestrian, with little narrative tension, & I felt it was more about the history & the issues than telling a great story. I would have preferred more plot & less explaining.
I’ve enjoyed Tony Birch’s short stories so maybe his writing works better in that form (for me). This has almost a YA tone which is not my thing.
Would be a good entry point for YA readers to empathise with Aboriginal Australians and what they have suffered.
August 30, 2020
For such a short novel this story punches you in the gut. It's equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. I think the characters are somewhat one-dimensional and the story has predictable elements but it doesn't matter because the plot isn't really the point - it's about illuminating a period of Australian history and fostering empathy. The writing is simple but engaging and does an effective job of placing the reader in the characters' world.
June 24, 2022
Oh my what a beautiful book! I have always been interested in the struggles and history of the Australian Aboriginal people and this book was perfect for learning and understanding. I rarely give 5 stars, almost there, more like 4.5 stars. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Read
March 7, 2022The Amerie's Book Club selection for the month of March is THE WHITE GIRL by Tony Birch!
Follow @AmeriesBookClub on IG, and join me and Tony Birch on my IGLIVE (@Amerie) April 1 at 1pm PST/4pm EST. Bring your questions!
Tony Birch weaves a heartbreaking yet hopeful story of an aboriginal woman who refuses to let the government destroy the little family she has left. Bitingly humorous, grandmother Odette Brown is a force, but not so armored that a reader cannot glimpse the most vulnerable parts of herself. I worried for Odette and her granddaughter, Sissy, unsure if the next page might cause my heart to ache or warm. At times fairytale-esque in its presentations of good and evil, of love and hate, I found myself flying through the story until I reached its satisfying conclusion.
#AmeriesBookClub #ReadWithAmerie @Amerie @AmeriesBookClub @harperviabooks #TonyBirch #TheWhiteGirl
ABOUT TONY BIRCH
Tony Birch is the author of three novels: the bestselling The White Girl; Ghost River, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing; and Blood, which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. He is also the author of Shadowboxing and three short story collections, Father’s Day, The Promise and Common People. In 2017 he was awarded the Patrick White Literary Award. In 2021 he will publish two new books; Whisper Songs, a poetry collection, and Dark As Last Night, a book of short stories, both with University of Queensland Press. Tony is a frequent contributor to ABC local and national radio, a regular guest at writers’ festivals, and a climate justice campaigner. In 2021 Tony will publish two new books; a poetry collection, Whisper Songs, and a new book of short stories, Dark As Last Night (both with UQP).
Follow @AmeriesBookClub on IG, and join me and Tony Birch on my IGLIVE (@Amerie) April 1 at 1pm PST/4pm EST. Bring your questions!
Tony Birch weaves a heartbreaking yet hopeful story of an aboriginal woman who refuses to let the government destroy the little family she has left. Bitingly humorous, grandmother Odette Brown is a force, but not so armored that a reader cannot glimpse the most vulnerable parts of herself. I worried for Odette and her granddaughter, Sissy, unsure if the next page might cause my heart to ache or warm. At times fairytale-esque in its presentations of good and evil, of love and hate, I found myself flying through the story until I reached its satisfying conclusion.
#AmeriesBookClub #ReadWithAmerie @Amerie @AmeriesBookClub @harperviabooks #TonyBirch #TheWhiteGirl
ABOUT TONY BIRCH
Tony Birch is the author of three novels: the bestselling The White Girl; Ghost River, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing; and Blood, which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. He is also the author of Shadowboxing and three short story collections, Father’s Day, The Promise and Common People. In 2017 he was awarded the Patrick White Literary Award. In 2021 he will publish two new books; Whisper Songs, a poetry collection, and Dark As Last Night, a book of short stories, both with University of Queensland Press. Tony is a frequent contributor to ABC local and national radio, a regular guest at writers’ festivals, and a climate justice campaigner. In 2021 Tony will publish two new books; a poetry collection, Whisper Songs, and a new book of short stories, Dark As Last Night (both with UQP).
February 23, 2023
Setting: New South Wales, Australia; 1960's.
Odette Brown lives on the outskirts of a small country town in a former mining area of New South Wales - now, the mines have closed down but not before they took the life of her husband and Odette lives day-to-day looking after her granddaughter, Sissy, after her daughter, Lila, left town when Sissy was a year old and has never returned.
When a new police sergeant comes to town, he is determined to take seriously his 'guardianship' role under the Aborigines Protection Act by paying close attention to the Aborigines in his area and particularly those children who have some Aborigine heritage, including Odette's granddaughter Sissy (whose skin colour is so pale she could almost be taken for white). This often means children being taken away from their families to be educated elsewhere and then adopted out to other families. Feeling under threat from the recently-arrived Sergeant Lowe, Odette travels to the state capital to seek out her daughter and provide protection for Sissy, bearing in mind she herself is now ill....
I found this to be a very atmospheric and moving novel - the setting of the wonderfully-described country town of Deane and its environs, populated by a range of larger-than-life characters, made for a vibrant novel. What really shocked me was the way the Australian government of the time under Robert Menzies felt the best way of 'helping' Aborigine families was to take away children which were the result of relationships between, or more likely rapes by, white men on Aboriginal girls and women - and that this was as recently as the 1960's, during part of which I was living in Australia myself and was unaware of (although only a child myself). A satisfactory ending to this tale about the lengths any decent person will go to in order to protect their families - 9/10.
Odette Brown lives on the outskirts of a small country town in a former mining area of New South Wales - now, the mines have closed down but not before they took the life of her husband and Odette lives day-to-day looking after her granddaughter, Sissy, after her daughter, Lila, left town when Sissy was a year old and has never returned.
When a new police sergeant comes to town, he is determined to take seriously his 'guardianship' role under the Aborigines Protection Act by paying close attention to the Aborigines in his area and particularly those children who have some Aborigine heritage, including Odette's granddaughter Sissy (whose skin colour is so pale she could almost be taken for white). This often means children being taken away from their families to be educated elsewhere and then adopted out to other families. Feeling under threat from the recently-arrived Sergeant Lowe, Odette travels to the state capital to seek out her daughter and provide protection for Sissy, bearing in mind she herself is now ill....
I found this to be a very atmospheric and moving novel - the setting of the wonderfully-described country town of Deane and its environs, populated by a range of larger-than-life characters, made for a vibrant novel. What really shocked me was the way the Australian government of the time under Robert Menzies felt the best way of 'helping' Aborigine families was to take away children which were the result of relationships between, or more likely rapes by, white men on Aboriginal girls and women - and that this was as recently as the 1960's, during part of which I was living in Australia myself and was unaware of (although only a child myself). A satisfactory ending to this tale about the lengths any decent person will go to in order to protect their families - 9/10.
February 27, 2022
Whilst a war began nearby, covid chilled in my body and I continued to miss my homeland I read this over two days. A story from a familiar land but an unfamiliar story. A sad one filled with such beautiful love and care.
Such a different narrative to my usually high fantasy complications. Just an unjust part of history. And a strong wonderful woman and her grand daughters journey to a semblance of freedom.
Loved it.
My sister gave it to me for my birthday last year. It had a weird journey getting to me too. But I’m glad it made it.
Such a different narrative to my usually high fantasy complications. Just an unjust part of history. And a strong wonderful woman and her grand daughters journey to a semblance of freedom.
Loved it.
My sister gave it to me for my birthday last year. It had a weird journey getting to me too. But I’m glad it made it.
July 18, 2022
Odette Brown, an aboriginal woman is raising her granddaughter Sissy. Sissy is a light skinned girl, born to Odette's daughter, the father unknow, but probably white. They have survived under the radar, with Sissy going to school, visiting the small town and lying low for the most part. When Odette has to visit a doctor, she leaves Sissy home alone and she doesn't follow her grandmother's rules. She is now on the radar of the local authorities. You see, in the 1960s light skinned aboriginals were removed from their homes based on the Federal Aboriginal Protection Act. Can Odette get Sissy to safety before she is removed from their home and raised in a residential program?
This is a very emotional story for many reasons. First these protection acts that were enacted all over the world, did nothing but cause heartache, devastation and lasting mental health issues. Sissy was very happy and very well cared for, there was no reason for her to be removed from her home. The men who bullied and used their positions to do these horrendous things were awful and Tony Birch writes some great characters. There were also a lot of people willing to help Odette, but you have to wonder how many of these people were there to help the many families in this situation. If you are interested in history, human rights, racism and the plight of indigenous people, I recommend you pick up this well written book. The audiobook was narrated by Shareena Clanton. She does an excellent job developing voices for the characters and uses expression and tone to make this book come alive for me. I definitely recommend this audiobook.
This is a very emotional story for many reasons. First these protection acts that were enacted all over the world, did nothing but cause heartache, devastation and lasting mental health issues. Sissy was very happy and very well cared for, there was no reason for her to be removed from her home. The men who bullied and used their positions to do these horrendous things were awful and Tony Birch writes some great characters. There were also a lot of people willing to help Odette, but you have to wonder how many of these people were there to help the many families in this situation. If you are interested in history, human rights, racism and the plight of indigenous people, I recommend you pick up this well written book. The audiobook was narrated by Shareena Clanton. She does an excellent job developing voices for the characters and uses expression and tone to make this book come alive for me. I definitely recommend this audiobook.
February 10, 2022
The White Girl by Tony Birch is a beautiful story about one strong woman’s desire to protect her granddaughter and make a better life for her.
This is a look into the oppressive practice of the Australian government in removing Aboriginal children from their families in order to “protect” them back in the 1960s. In this story, we follow one woman in her efforts to keep her thirteen-year-old granddaughter from the clutches of the Government.
Odette Brown lives with her granddaughter, Sissy in a small country town. Set in the early 1960s, Odette knows that Sissy, with her fair skin, may be targeted by the welfare authorities for removal to a “better” home. So far, she’s managed to evade the authorities, but when a new lawman moves into town, she knows she has to do something to keep Sissy safe.
This short novel is written in a very straightforward way and was easy to read, but also emotional too. I enjoyed the simplistic writing style and was instantly immersed in the story. After reading this story, I still don’t know much about Odetter or Sissy, but I do know a lot about the practices of the Government during this time period and how affected the lives of Odette and Sissy, and I believe this is the point the author was trying to make.
Although an emotional story, I felt like the author was able to highlight the horrors of the Federal Aboriginal Protection Act and the ramifications this act had on the Aboriginal people, without being too dramatic. He does this by writing about a strong, inspirational woman who defies the welfare officials and tells her story in a very matter-of-fact way.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves literary fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a look into the oppressive practice of the Australian government in removing Aboriginal children from their families in order to “protect” them back in the 1960s. In this story, we follow one woman in her efforts to keep her thirteen-year-old granddaughter from the clutches of the Government.
Odette Brown lives with her granddaughter, Sissy in a small country town. Set in the early 1960s, Odette knows that Sissy, with her fair skin, may be targeted by the welfare authorities for removal to a “better” home. So far, she’s managed to evade the authorities, but when a new lawman moves into town, she knows she has to do something to keep Sissy safe.
This short novel is written in a very straightforward way and was easy to read, but also emotional too. I enjoyed the simplistic writing style and was instantly immersed in the story. After reading this story, I still don’t know much about Odetter or Sissy, but I do know a lot about the practices of the Government during this time period and how affected the lives of Odette and Sissy, and I believe this is the point the author was trying to make.
Although an emotional story, I felt like the author was able to highlight the horrors of the Federal Aboriginal Protection Act and the ramifications this act had on the Aboriginal people, without being too dramatic. He does this by writing about a strong, inspirational woman who defies the welfare officials and tells her story in a very matter-of-fact way.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves literary fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 730 reviews