Author(s): John Danalis (Author), Boori Monty Pryor (Foreword)
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
Edition: Illustrated
Language: English
Print length: 276 pages
ISBN-10: 9781741753776
ISBN-13: 9781741753776
Book Description
All through his growing-up years, John Danalis’s family had an Aboriginal skull on the mantelpiece; yet only as an adult after enrolling in an Indigenous Writing course did he ask his family where it came from and whether it should be restored to its rightful owners. This is the compelling story of how the skull of an Aboriginal man, found on the banks of the Murray River more than 40 years ago, came to be returned to his Wamba Wamba descendants. It is a story of awakening, atonement, forgiveness, and friendship. “It is as if a whole window into Indigenous culture has blown open, not just the window, but every door in the house,” says John Danalis. Part history, part detective story, part cultural discovery and emotional journey, this is a book for young and old, showing the transformative and healing power of true reconciliation.
Australian author Danalis grew up unaware of the significance of the Aboriginal skull his father kept on the mantle. However, as an adult he began to realize what a violation it was of these indigenous Australians’ dignity and traditions. His new understanding led him to undertake a personal quest to make amends. Along the way, he—and his readers—learn a great deal about a people who have widely been regarded as “the other.” Though this memoir will have more resonance with Australian readers than American, the mistreatment of minorities is universal, and the history and present condition of Aborigines will inevitably remind readers here of our treatment of Native Americans. Though originally published as an adult book, this import is aimed at young adults, who may find the pace a bit slow and the style self-consciously “artful” (“Mother Earth still hums her gentle cantatas on morning mists”). Nevertheless, the story is an important one and surely will find widespread classroom use. Grades 9-12. –Michael Cart
Review
“The story is an important one and surely will find widespread classroom use.” —
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About the Author
John Danalis is the author and illustrator of Bath Monster, Dog 37, and Uncle Lou’s Tattoos. He has illustrated numerous other titles, including Licking Lizards, Girl in the Cave, and Loku and the Shark Attack. Boori Monty Pryor is the coauthor of Flytrap and Njunjul the Sun.
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