Home

Home follows the parallel stories of an Aboriginal grandmother and granddaughter across different eras in Australian history. Candice, a lawyer in contemporary Sydney, embarks on research into her family's past while her grandmother Garibooli recounts being forcibly taken from her community as a child in 1930s New South Wales. The narrative tracks between Garibooli's experiences under the government's Aboriginal protection policies and Candice's modern-day quest to understand her heritage and identity. Through archival documents, oral histories, and family stories, Candice pieces together the impacts of Australia's assimilation programs on generations of Indigenous families. The story explores connections to culture, land, and community across time, examining how past policies continue to affect Aboriginal people in the present. Drawing on historical records and lived experiences, this novel illuminates the ongoing legacy of Australia's treatment of its First Nations people while celebrating cultural survival and resilience.

Readers connect with the emotional depth of this Australian intergenerational story, particularly its portrayal of trauma from forced removals of Aboriginal children. Many reviews note the effective parallel narratives of past and present. Readers appreciated: - Clear, accessible writing style - Complex characters dealing with identity and belonging - Educational insights into Aboriginal Australian history - Balance of heavy themes with moments of hope - Strong female perspectives Common criticisms: - Some found the present-day storyline less engaging - A few readers wanted more development of secondary characters - Several mentioned a slow start before the story gains momentum Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (213 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (16 ratings) Readings.com.au: 4/5 (8 ratings) "A powerful look at intergenerational pain" - Goodreads reviewer "Important story but uneven pacing" - Amazon reviewer "Made me understand the Stolen Generations in a new way" - Readings reviewer

Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington This account of three Aboriginal girls who escape from a settlement camp to return to their families parallels Home's exploration of Indigenous family separation and survival.

Ghost River by Tony Birch The story delves into Indigenous connections to land and community through the perspective of young Aboriginal boys navigating urban Australia in the 1960s.

Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman This narrative examines colonization and displacement through an Indigenous lens while weaving together historical and contemporary Aboriginal experiences.

Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko The tale of a woman returning to her ancestral homeland tackles themes of family obligations, cultural identity, and intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal Australia.

The White Girl by Tony Birch Set in 1960s rural Australia, this story centers on an Aboriginal grandmother fighting to protect her granddaughter from government removal policies.

🏆 Author Larissa Behrendt was the first Aboriginal Australian to graduate from Harvard Law School, where she received her LLM and SJD degrees. 🦘 The book's narrative spans four generations of Indigenous Australian women, reflecting the real-life impact of Australia's "Stolen Generations" policies that forcibly removed Aboriginal children from their families. 📚 "Home" won the 2005 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in the South East Asia and South Pacific Region. 🎨 The story was partly inspired by Behrendt's own family history—her Aboriginal grandmother was removed from her family as a child under government policies. 🗣️ The author deliberately chose to tell the story through multiple voices and time periods to show how historical trauma ripples through generations of Indigenous families.