Focus Books for Doorways into Lives

'. . . goodbye . . . for I have found my wings.'

This story is very confronting and it would be difficult to share with a class. Having said that, it would be worth the work. It is also an excellent way to show how writing can be a powerful tool for healing and for self-analysis. Eli's ability to take control of her own destiny and to attend night classes are excellent examples of how goals can be achieved.

Many teenagers and parents will find this confronting text, inspiring and informative. I hope it will be available in libraries and considered for use in senior English classes.

I recommend Eli's Wings despite the tears I shed.

Lilliah McCulloch, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College (NT)



BIRCH, Reginald. Wyndham Yella Fella
Magabala, 2003

Biography.  Age 15+  Reginald Birch was born in 1940 at Forrest River Mission Aboriginal Reserve on the north coast of Western Australia to Mary and Cyprian Birch who both had Aboriginal mothers and European fathers.

According to the government policies of the time these 'half caste' Aboriginal people had to be taken from their 'pagan' culture and assimilated into white Australian society. However, Reginald Birch sees himself as an Aboriginal 'yella fella' who did not have elders to teach him about his Aboriginal spirit Dreaming and who is not part of mainstream white society.

In accordance with its mission of publishing the stories of indigenous Australians, Magabala Books has published Reginald Birch's story and reminiscences in Wyndham Yella Fella. The first section of the book titled Back to Wyndham, describes how the Japanese air raid on Wyndham in 1943 resulted in the abandonment of the Forrest River Mission and the eventual settlement of Reginald's parents in Wyndham where they bought a house in 1946. He vividly recalls his childhood memories of going to school and helping his father with his work for the Main Roads Department. Certainly, the family had a tough time and the errors of the 'Caucasian conquerors' are readily revealed.

The next section, Kimberley Legends, relates the lives and exploits of some of the identities of the Kimberley cattle industry including Bill Hurst, Jack Campbell, Dave Rust and Scottie Salmon. This section is followed by Kindred Spirits, which is the story of Reginald Birch's wife Margaret who came from the Moola Bulla Native settlement. A short section, All Still Here concerns Reginald's two sisters and three brothers who reside around Wyndham. A brief conclusion, Yella Fella Dreaming affirms Reginald's commitment to passing on traditional Aboriginal culture.

Mature and capable readers with an interest in Aboriginal or Kimberley history would appreciate Wyndham Yella Fella. Unfortunately, its use as a history reference is limited by the absence of an index. This book may be suitable to use in some secondary school libraries for Aboriginal studies or as a real life text for senior English students.

Alison Lawrence, Broome SHS



FULLER, Alexander. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
Pan Macmillan, 2002

Autobiography. Age 15+ Alexandra Fuller tells the story of her childhood in Rhodesia during the civil war between the small white population and the newly independent black government. It is the story of an unusual family living in extraordinary times and is by turn heartbreaking, hilarious and angry.

Fuller's family returned to Rhodesia when she was two, just in time for the start of the attempt by the white population to turn the clock back to the colonial era. Like many whites who had grown up in Africa, Fuller's parents could not stay away. They would accept the most appalling living conditions and near penury almost anywhere in southern Africa rather than stay another day in England.

Africa was home. It was where they truly felt at ease. Their attachment to the land was visceral and almost atavistic. So when their ship turned towards the Cape, Fuller's mother lifted Alexandra up and 'smell that', she whispered, 'that's home'. That first face full of African air almost killed Alexandra but she recovered to survive the war and a haphazard upbringing at the hands of a progressively more erratic and emotionally devastated mother. It was the sort of family life that would be termed neglectful if not abusive today.

Alexandra's father spent most of the war away and her mother worked ferociously hard to keep their farm economically viable. They were a loving and fun loving couple who were racked beyond endurance by the stress of a guerrilla war and the sorrow of their personal tragedies. And in spite of or maybe because of the peculiarly clear child's view of them that Fuller gives us, we admire them for their wonderful and often quixotic qualities and accept their great faults.

Fuller takes us on a journey from childhood to womanhood, through the war, into three other countries, to boarding school, her sister's wedding, and finally her own wedding. Her writing is fresh, funny, informed by an urgency of sensory perception, a great love of life and a wry and loving acceptance of her parents.

A wonderful read and highly recommended.

Toni Somesan, Clarkson CHS



HILL, Anthony. Soldier Boy: The True Story of Jim Martin, The Youngest ANZAC
Penguin, 2001

Biography.  Age 12+  Life in Australia at the turn of the century, though uncompleted and simple, was difficult and challenging. There were few pleasures and little excitement. This was the life that Jim Martin endured as his family struggled to provide an existence, whilst moving several times in an attempt to create greater opportunities. Then the First World War begins and with it an opportunity to add some excitement to a dull life, with action overseas. There is a rush of able-bodied men to join the army and Jim is no exception, though against his family's wishes. Being big for his age and extremely fit through outdoor work, Jim has little difficulty being accepted by the army. Although eighteen was the minimum age for enlistment, Jim was only fourteen. The fun times and mateship at training camp, the weapons drill and the fun times spent on leave all reveal another side to Jim's life, a life he was enjoying to the full. His excitement at finally being aboard the troopship leaving Melbourne hides the hardship and destruction that awaits them once they go ashore at Gallipoli, and the eventual circumstances that lead to his death are compelling reading.

The story is magnificently supported by numerous primary sources, consisting of original photographs of both Jim's family life and his military career that add an air of authenticity to the text. The letters from Gallipoli to families at home graphically describe the horrors of a place that has been afforded a special place in Australia's history. The description of the landing and the conditions the soldiers endured only further reinforce the legend of ANZAC we have grown up with. The anguish of a family trying to restrain a youth who is hell bent on joining the great adventure overseas is graphically illustrated and is sure to attract the sympathy of the reader.

The unpretentious cover, that provides a hint of the message within, is sure to attract most readers. This wonderfully moving story is written in a manner that will appeal to readers of all ages whilst portraying a message of the futility of war. Its primary sources can be employed to encourage discussion on the conditions encountered by the soldiers overseas or on the futility of conflict. Hill has managed to create a superb novel that skilfully mingles the known facts with fiction, until the boundaries are blurred. This is one story that will move all those who read it, one that should find a place in every library.

Jeff Herd, Eastern Goldfields SHS



LEONARD, Tracey. The Full Catastrophe
Hodder, 1999

Personal Story.  Age 14+  Tracey Leonard leaves Toowoomba after finishing nursing study. This is an account of her search for self as a volunteer in Calcutta at a Nirmal Hriday Home for the Destitute and Dying, and in the Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory. Although it is not especially well-written the book is humorous, incredibly sad and full of courage and hope. It is a moving and thought-provoking read for young adults.



STONE, Miriam. At the End of Words: A Daughter's Memoir
Candlewick Press, 2003.

Memoir.  Age 14+  This a true story of a daughter's trauma over the impending death of her mother. Told in fifty-five raw pages, the author uses narrative, verse and stream of consciousness to tell the story of her mother's descent due to cancer. Miriam is torn between wanting to learn about her mother's life before she takes her secrets to the grave, and not appearing as if she has given up on her mother's fight.

However, the images of Miriam using drugs and smoking jar against the images of her mother descending into death. Told in months and seasons, this story is twelve months in the life of Miriam: six months while her mother is alive and six months after she has died.

At the End of Words is a healing piece of writing. It is therapeutic, hopeful, remembering, embracing and accepting of death.

Judith Way, Mill Park Secondary College (VIC)



Zoya. Zoya's Story: An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom
Review, 2003

Nonfiction Narrative.  Age 15 +  Zoya's Story starts with Zoya about to re-enter Afghanistan from where she fled as a child, accompanied by her grandmother, to Pakistan. Zoya's parents, workers for the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan, an underground group fighting against the Taliban, were killed by the Taliban.

Zoya details the circumstances of the Taliban's rise to power, giving the reader an accessible account of Afghanistan's recent history. We learn of her early childhood in Kabul, her youth in Pakistan, and her young adulthood in various places in Afghanistan. Zoya works for the same organisation as her parents had. She recounts some very harrowing experiences, such as being in a filled sports stadium taking covert photos a of a public 'ceremony' in which an accused thief has his hands cut off. Zoya's work in a refugee camp is movingly described. It is interesting to note that the September 11 incident delivered quite a setback to the Afghan women's cause, despite their obvious opposition to the Taliban.

This measured account of Zoya's life leaves the reader with a clear understanding of contemporary Afghanistan. As some of the events are distressing, I recommend Zoya's Story for mature readers.

Rosemary Cuthbert, Como Secondary College



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