Rainbow's End

by Jane Harrison

Set in the 1950s in the northern Victorian area of Shepparton and Mooroopna, Rainbow's End by Jane Harrison creates a "thought-provoking and emotionally powerful" (The Age) snapshot of a Koori family to dramatise the struggle for decent housing, meaningful education, jobs and community acceptance.

Genres: Plays, Fiction, School, Teaching

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Jane Harrison is descended from the Muruwari people and is an award-winning playwright, author and Festival director. Jane directed the Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival in 2016 and 2019.

Her first play Stolen played across Australia and internationally for seven years. Rainbow’s End was produced in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2019 and won the 2012 Drover Award. Her novel Becoming Kirrali Lewis won the 2014 Black & Write! Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prime Minster’s Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Awards.

Her latest play The Visitors premiered at Sydney Festival in 2020 and will be adapted into a novel, to be released by Harper Collins in 2023.

Jane believes in the power of stories in strengthening cultural connection.

Reviews

[Clive Parkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a possible choice for VCE Year 12 - good option…

[Ashlea James · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was literally the worst book I've ever read. There was no climax, and it felt like a total bore and a waste of time. Every time I thought it might get interesting, it quickly turned dull again and returned to the mundane discussions of the characters' lives. It felt as if I were just sitting in a stranger's house, eavesdropping on their daily lives and tedious conversations.
and the way it is set up as a play makes it 100 times worse, it makes it confusing as I read it you are constantly reading their names like "Nan dear: Bla Bla" then "Dolly: Bla Bla" It just gets so repetitive and almost unreadable I cannot believe it has such high reviews. The said racism was from both parties and achieves nothing in the book with no better outlook at the end. I had to skip almost the whole first half of the book cause they were just talking nonsense, at one point Gladis was chopping wood and now they are suddenly in a games show winning prizes then it goes strait back to her cutting wood?? and no mention after it, why was there a games show?

the book is absolutely awful, unreadable and really makes no sense. Don't waste your time on a pointless book that achieves nothing.

[Emma Balkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and uplifting play, despite much of the subject matter being heavy. Nan Dear, her daughter Gladys and granddaughter Dolly are a formidable trio, tackling the problems presented to them with humour and tenacity. Harrison highlights many of the systemic issues plaguing Aboriginal people during the 1950s, such as assimilation policies, education, the stolen generation, racial prejudice and violence and cultural imperialism. Layered upon this is 1950s popular culture: the Queen’s visit, Bob Dyer’s Pick a Box, various songs from the era and Aussie vernacular from the era (my favourite being ‘shizenhausen’.

[leima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this for English…

Honestly? First book of English that I actually enjoyed. Granted, it’s a short one but the symbolism and story is truly deep and gets you to use all your brain power.

Excited to dive into every nook and cranny of this analysis!!

[Jane Milton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little play about racism in 1950s Australia, destiny, secrets, and above all- dreams

[Amy (Taylor’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it for my ATAR literature year 11 course but I actually really enjoyed it!!

[Rachel🌻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐

[Katg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent play

[Talisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fir the first english book i have read it was pretty good

[Steven Kolber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely and taut play, really fun.

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kinda giving Hairspray and I'm here for it.

[pella · Rating 4 out of 5]

also had to read this for english play study 🙃

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

For english

[mohmina (taylor's version) ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

thanks vcaa for the recommendation

[Laura White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read! Get something new out of it each time. Would be great to see it performed

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I surprisingly really enjoyed this!

[nai ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

yay (for school)

[ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this book for english and it was pretty decent.

[Amelia Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book and more schools should learn this in their English classes. I read this as one of my year 12 books and it is super short but really gives a pictures of the life of Indigenous Australians in the 50s and the struggles they were having. No Sugar, is another play that is excellent that I would recommend if you liked this play.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st & 2nd Read: CAWPILE ➣ 8.43
3rd & 4th Read: CAWPILE ➣ 7.57

[allie]

was a play-by play script thing so it was harder for me to read

[Georgia M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think this would be on Goodreads.