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Tiddas
A story about what it means to be a friend …
Five women, best friends for decades, meet once a month to talk about books … and life, love and the jagged bits in between. Dissecting each other’s lives seems the most natural thing in the world – and honesty, no matter how brutal, is something they treasure. Best friends tell each other everything, don’t they? But each woman harbours a complex secret and one weekend, without warning, everything comes unstuck.
Izzy, soon to be the first Black woman with her own television show, has to make a decision that will change everything. Veronica, recently divorced and dedicated to raising the best sons in the world, has forgotten who she is. Xanthe, desperate for a baby, can think of nothing else, even at the expense of her marriage. Nadine, so successful at writing other people’s stories, is determined to blot out her own. Ellen, footloose by choice, begins to question all that she’s fought for.
When their circle begins to fracture and the old childhood ways don’t work anymore, is their sense of sistahood enough to keep it intact? How well do these tiddas really know each other?
Five women, best friends for decades, meet once a month to talk about books … and life, love and the jagged bits in between. Dissecting each other’s lives seems the most natural thing in the world – and honesty, no matter how brutal, is something they treasure. Best friends tell each other everything, don’t they? But each woman harbours a complex secret and one weekend, without warning, everything comes unstuck.
Izzy, soon to be the first Black woman with her own television show, has to make a decision that will change everything. Veronica, recently divorced and dedicated to raising the best sons in the world, has forgotten who she is. Xanthe, desperate for a baby, can think of nothing else, even at the expense of her marriage. Nadine, so successful at writing other people’s stories, is determined to blot out her own. Ellen, footloose by choice, begins to question all that she’s fought for.
When their circle begins to fracture and the old childhood ways don’t work anymore, is their sense of sistahood enough to keep it intact? How well do these tiddas really know each other?
368 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2014
26 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
About the author
Anita Heiss
39 books576 followersProfessor Anita Heiss – bio
Anita is a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales, and is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors, publishing across genres, including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction and children’s novels.
Her adult fiction includes Not Meeting Mr Right, Avoiding Mr Right, Manhattan Dreaming, Paris Dreaming and Tiddas. Her most recent books include Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms which was longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Prize and was named the University of Canberra’s 2020 Book of the Year.
The anthology Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia which Anita edited, was named the Small Publisher Adult Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Anita’s children’s literature includes Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic, co-written with Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin. She also wrote two kids’ novels with students from La Perouse Public School - Yirra and her deadly dog Demon and Demon Guards the School Yard, and more recently, Harry’s Secret and Matty’s Comeback.
Anita’s other published works also include the historical novel Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, non-fiction text Dhuuluu-Yala (To Talk Straight) – Publishing Aboriginal Literature, and The Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, which she co-authored with Peter Minter.
In 2004 Anita was listed in The Bulletin magazine’s “Smart 100”. Her memoir Am I Black Enough for You? was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and she was a finalist in the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards (Local Hero).
As an advocate for Indigenous literacy, Anita has worked in remote communities as a role model and encouraging young Indigenous Australians to write their own stories. On an international level she has performed her own work and lectured on Aboriginal literature across the globe at universities and conferences, consulates and embassies in the USA, Canada, the UK, Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Spain, Japan, Austria, Germany and New Zealand.
Anita is proud to be a Lifetime Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, and an Ambassador of Worawa Aboriginal College, the GO Foundation and the Sydney Swans.
She is on the Board of the State Library of Queensland, CIRCA and the University of QLD Press. In 2019 Anita was appointed a Professor of Communications at the University of QLD and in 2020 is the Artist in Residence at La Boitte Theatre.
Anita’s website: www.anitaheiss.com
Storytime with Aunty Nita: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/lib...
Anita is a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales, and is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors, publishing across genres, including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction and children’s novels.
Her adult fiction includes Not Meeting Mr Right, Avoiding Mr Right, Manhattan Dreaming, Paris Dreaming and Tiddas. Her most recent books include Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms which was longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Prize and was named the University of Canberra’s 2020 Book of the Year.
The anthology Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia which Anita edited, was named the Small Publisher Adult Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Anita’s children’s literature includes Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic, co-written with Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin. She also wrote two kids’ novels with students from La Perouse Public School - Yirra and her deadly dog Demon and Demon Guards the School Yard, and more recently, Harry’s Secret and Matty’s Comeback.
Anita’s other published works also include the historical novel Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, non-fiction text Dhuuluu-Yala (To Talk Straight) – Publishing Aboriginal Literature, and The Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, which she co-authored with Peter Minter.
In 2004 Anita was listed in The Bulletin magazine’s “Smart 100”. Her memoir Am I Black Enough for You? was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and she was a finalist in the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards (Local Hero).
As an advocate for Indigenous literacy, Anita has worked in remote communities as a role model and encouraging young Indigenous Australians to write their own stories. On an international level she has performed her own work and lectured on Aboriginal literature across the globe at universities and conferences, consulates and embassies in the USA, Canada, the UK, Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Spain, Japan, Austria, Germany and New Zealand.
Anita is proud to be a Lifetime Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, and an Ambassador of Worawa Aboriginal College, the GO Foundation and the Sydney Swans.
She is on the Board of the State Library of Queensland, CIRCA and the University of QLD Press. In 2019 Anita was appointed a Professor of Communications at the University of QLD and in 2020 is the Artist in Residence at La Boitte Theatre.
Anita’s website: www.anitaheiss.com
Storytime with Aunty Nita: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/lib...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
April 28, 2014
Tiddas
I had such high expectations of this book that I actually paid top dollar for it at a city bookstore because I didn't want to wait, and the blurb convinced me that it was everything I liked in a book...I couldn't wait to get started.
So it's with much real regret that I say, that to my mind, this book was nothing like the blurb "suggested".
Yes it did have all of those characters and yes it did talk about their respective lives, loves and various challenges, and their sisterhood...and I wanted to hear all about it...but for the main part it only touched ever so briefly on those things while trying (unsuccessfully) to incorporate strong messages on social and political issues regarding Indigenous Australians...albeit important messages, but not altogether within the context of this supposed work of fiction.
The story lacked structure, and kept skipping from one thing to the next without following through, leaving me wondering when the actual story was going to begin and, in fact, what it was really going to be about...
...Because of the strong emphasis throughout on real Aboriginal issues and history, I felt that the author at times, was overstating a point to the extent that it got a bit overbearing, or appeared to be pushing an agenda which was not entirely relevant to the moment, thus spoiling the moment every time.
I felt the story was fragmented, with potentially good issues being raised and then going nowhere??...left hanging with unanswered questions.
Now and again I would get excited as the story seems to pick up a bit of pace and appears to be heading in a particular direction, as though it is taking us somewhere...then it just stops dead.
Like when all the Tiddas meet up to have dinner or a Book Club meeting, and they all greet one another with comments and asides, often raising some significant issue involving one of them that promises further exploration, or "intervention" then without further explanation, it has jumped one or two days later doing something completely different...like you've missed a page or something??
You suddenly find you are into a new and totally unrelated paragraph starting on a new event with a feeling of still wanting to know the outcome of the previous event....which, by the way never does eventuate.
It's like bits of padding that don't quite fill the bill. Very frustrating and very disappointing.
I liked Izzy, she's quite a character and doesn't take things as seriously as some of her Tiddas.
All of the characters were strong and likeable in their various ways, and I think there was lots of unexplored scope for more about their individual lives without bogging it down...which is what I thought the book was going to be about...it seems to me that the author got a little too carried away with wanting to platform Aboriginal issues and forgot about the necessary structure of the promised storyline.
Given the original storyline of five Tiddas who grew up together in Mudgee, all of the above mentioned issues could easily have been more realistically incorporated into the story without losing the readers' interest. However, I think it failed to come across in the intended way and unfortunately lost the plot very early on.
As it is, it comes across as only half baked.
The upside of this book are it's strong characters and storyline, the downside is the failure to exploit those two strong points.
I have laboured over this review as for me it's pretty harsh, but I have to tell it like I see it.
A disappointing, 2*s.
June 4, 2017
I wanted to like this more than I actually did.
As a piece of chick-lit is was just ok. The 5 main female characters were quite well-developed, and were sufficiently different from each other to be interesting. They were close but there was enough tension between them to create the occasional bit of drama. They dealt with everyday, contemporary issues. Nothing special.
As a work of Indigenous Australian fiction, it was disappointing. On the one hand there were times I felt I was being hit over the head with it, while on the other hand I felt that I didn't really learn anything. One element that really irked me was that the 5 women - apart from being best friends - also had their own exclusive book club, where they seemingly only ever read books by Indigenous authors, and the way they talked about them (at the bookclub get-togethers) just struck me as being quite inauthentic. I mean the dialogue was inauthentic, not the sentiments.
As an advertisement for the (greater) City of Brisbane, it did a fantastic job. In all of the times I've been there, I'd never thought of it as being quite so lively, so beautiful or so cosmopolitan.
I won't rush to read more by Anita Heiss, but she's done me a favour, as I'm quite interested to read a couple of the bookclub books.
As a piece of chick-lit is was just ok. The 5 main female characters were quite well-developed, and were sufficiently different from each other to be interesting. They were close but there was enough tension between them to create the occasional bit of drama. They dealt with everyday, contemporary issues. Nothing special.
As a work of Indigenous Australian fiction, it was disappointing. On the one hand there were times I felt I was being hit over the head with it, while on the other hand I felt that I didn't really learn anything. One element that really irked me was that the 5 women - apart from being best friends - also had their own exclusive book club, where they seemingly only ever read books by Indigenous authors, and the way they talked about them (at the bookclub get-togethers) just struck me as being quite inauthentic. I mean the dialogue was inauthentic, not the sentiments.
As an advertisement for the (greater) City of Brisbane, it did a fantastic job. In all of the times I've been there, I'd never thought of it as being quite so lively, so beautiful or so cosmopolitan.
I won't rush to read more by Anita Heiss, but she's done me a favour, as I'm quite interested to read a couple of the bookclub books.
March 6, 2014
Tiddas is Anita Heiss's fifth novel, an engaging story of friendship, life, love and five strong women.
The tiddas (sisters) are lifelong friends having grown up together in Mudgee. Now approaching midlife, each lives in and around Brisbane providing each other with support, love and friendship. Over a period of a year we are witness to their lives, their relationships with one another, and with themselves and with others, as they each journey towards a personal epiphany about what they value in each other and themselves.
These are women we can likely relate to in one way or another, smart, savvy, socially aware, they are varyingly wives, mothers, daughters, cousins, in law's and of course tiddas. Each of the friends are distinct characters, struggling with their own issues, Xanthe is crushed by her inability to fall pregnant, her obsession placing strain on her marriage and her friendships. Izzy, on the verge of becoming Australia's 'Oprah' and who has never expressed a desire for a child, is horrified to discover she is unexpectedly pregnant. Veronica's self esteem has crumbled in the wake of her husband's desertion for a younger woman and Ellen, who has always been content to play the field, is questioning her aversion to commitment. Finally best selling author, Nadine is drinking far too much, alienating her tiddas and her extraordinarily patient husband with drunken tirades she barely remembers the next morning. They variously evoke admiration, sympathy and laughter and I thought their personal journeys, and their sisterhood, to be portrayed realistically.
Three of the women, Izzy, Xanthe and Ellen are Aboriginal and their cultural heritage plays a large part in the novel. I did sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by Heiss's socio-political agenda, the emphasis on Aboriginal issues is integrated in some contexts, such as the women's book club discussions and the way in which the women related to their family and their mob, but I thought it came across as intrusive, even preachy, in some instances.
Tiddas is a slight departure from Anita Heiss's chicklit backlist, including Manhattan Dreaming and Avoiding Mr Right, that each focused on a twenty something single woman searching for love. I personally appreciate the maturity of the characters, and their conflicts, in Tiddas.
An engaging, warm and amiable novel this is a lovely novel. I enjoyed spending time with the Tiddas, just as I do with my own friends.
May 21, 2018
I think this book required at least another year's worth of work to reach publishable standard - although, I must admit, quite what the standards of contemporary publishers are escapes me! There are what I consider rooky errors here. The text is riddled with phrases such as 'she felt', 'she believed', 'she saw' etc. which are nothing more than filter phrases which intrude between the reader and the action. The author writes lengthy passages describing what characters are thinking and feeling, rather than revealing these to the reader through action and dialogue. The author jumps frequently and annoyingly from head to head, giving us an 'update' in a paragraph or two of the characters current 'state'. This means that the reader never stays long enough with one character to properly get to know them, to develop a relationship with them and care what happens to them. I would have suggested devoting an entire chapter at a time to a character. The plot is very weak, with few moments of tension, suspense and high drama. The dialogue is stilted and unrealistic.
Much of this I attribute to the fact that the publisher did not put much work - alongside the author - into developing this novel. It needs substantial structural and copy editing. This might have lifted it to a 3-4-star novel, instead of the 2-star novel it is now.
Much of this I attribute to the fact that the publisher did not put much work - alongside the author - into developing this novel. It needs substantial structural and copy editing. This might have lifted it to a 3-4-star novel, instead of the 2-star novel it is now.
March 20, 2016
While I enjoyed this story of five middle aged women from Mudgee now living in Brisbane I didn't love it and I'm not quite sure that I got the point of it. The women are very close, having developed a strong bond as they have grown up together and are like sisters, or 'tiddas' in the local aboriginal language. The author covers a range of contemporary issues affecting these individual women including unplanned pregnancy, infertility, life after divorce, casual sex and alcoholism. The women support each other through their ups and downs and meet regularly through a monthly book group as well as other outings to celebrate birthdays and events in their lives.
The point of view of all the women is heard throughout the book and their characters are well developed and grow and change throughout the story. Three of the women are aboriginal and one is in a mixed marriage so indigenous issues are also at the forefront of much of the novel. However, all these women are now all middle class with careers or wealthy partners, living well integrated lives in a large city and are not shown as having to deal with overt racism and are not confronted with many of the problems that still affect indigenous Australians, who may not be as educated or well off. So I'm not sure what message this book is trying to convey with regard to the tiddas. It didn't really tell us much about the current struggle aboriginal women have with their identity although I did enjoy the insights into their family life when they visited Mudgee for a funeral. However, this book could just as easily been about any five women with a social conscience, regardless of race (or maybe that was the point and I've just missed it?).
The point of view of all the women is heard throughout the book and their characters are well developed and grow and change throughout the story. Three of the women are aboriginal and one is in a mixed marriage so indigenous issues are also at the forefront of much of the novel. However, all these women are now all middle class with careers or wealthy partners, living well integrated lives in a large city and are not shown as having to deal with overt racism and are not confronted with many of the problems that still affect indigenous Australians, who may not be as educated or well off. So I'm not sure what message this book is trying to convey with regard to the tiddas. It didn't really tell us much about the current struggle aboriginal women have with their identity although I did enjoy the insights into their family life when they visited Mudgee for a funeral. However, this book could just as easily been about any five women with a social conscience, regardless of race (or maybe that was the point and I've just missed it?).
April 14, 2014
this book had potential but unfortunately it is so pretentious it is painful to read in parts. overall disappointing but with the occasional interesting thing to say. and it inspired me to take up the book challenge the author has devised.
January 1, 2015
Firstly a definition - Tiddas is a generic eastern coast Aboriginal word for sisters, or women who are as close as sisters (sistahood). So Izzy, Veronica, Xanthe, Nadine and Ellen are Tiddas with each other as they all have grown up together in Mudgee. They are now all middle aged, live in Brisbane and are still very, very close. Each of them takes turns in telling the story, and each has their own issues that they may or may not recognise. Izzy, on the verge of becoming Australia’s version of Oprah, is faced with an unplanned pregnancy which could snatch away her crown before she even gets it; Xanthe is totally obsessed with trying to get pregnant which is straining her marriage and her friendship with Izzy. Ellen is a funeral director and lives life to the fullest as she knows that you have a finite time on earth, she flits from one man to the next and never settles; while all Veronica is wants is her life to have a purpose after her divorce as all her self-esteem disappeared when she signed the papers. Finally there is Nadine, Izzy’s sister in law and a well-known author – she is also an alcoholic.
TIDDAS is a story of friendship, fights, make-ups and loyalty and follows the women over the period of a year or so. While each woman has some serious issues to face, decisions to make, her Tiddas are there to pull her down or prop her up as the occasion requires. Refreshingly for a book about women for women not everyone has a happy ending, and not everyone’s story is totally finished by the end. However what HAS happened is that you have shared, and felt jealous of, and felt angry about issues with five women who you wish were YOUR best friends. Three of the women, Izzy, Xanthe and Ellen are Aboriginal and their cultural heritage plays a large part in the novel. Nadine is married to Izzy’s brother so her husband and children are Aboriginal. It is only natural that the women have an interest in Aboriginal issues and even discuss them – often heatedly – because that is what good friends do. This is no different when I sit down with some of my girlfriends and we discuss what the Prime Minister of the day has done to upset us this week. The conversations get quite fiery until one of us changes the subject, pours another wine and we move on. Once or twice in TIDDAS it did feel a little preachy when Aboriginal issues where introduced but on the whole I loved the story and the many issues touched upon – such alcoholism, mixed marriages, divorce, abortion and family expectations.
Rating: C – Above average. Was very readable and I really liked it but was easily able to put it down and walk away for a while.
TIDDAS is a story of friendship, fights, make-ups and loyalty and follows the women over the period of a year or so. While each woman has some serious issues to face, decisions to make, her Tiddas are there to pull her down or prop her up as the occasion requires. Refreshingly for a book about women for women not everyone has a happy ending, and not everyone’s story is totally finished by the end. However what HAS happened is that you have shared, and felt jealous of, and felt angry about issues with five women who you wish were YOUR best friends. Three of the women, Izzy, Xanthe and Ellen are Aboriginal and their cultural heritage plays a large part in the novel. Nadine is married to Izzy’s brother so her husband and children are Aboriginal. It is only natural that the women have an interest in Aboriginal issues and even discuss them – often heatedly – because that is what good friends do. This is no different when I sit down with some of my girlfriends and we discuss what the Prime Minister of the day has done to upset us this week. The conversations get quite fiery until one of us changes the subject, pours another wine and we move on. Once or twice in TIDDAS it did feel a little preachy when Aboriginal issues where introduced but on the whole I loved the story and the many issues touched upon – such alcoholism, mixed marriages, divorce, abortion and family expectations.
Rating: C – Above average. Was very readable and I really liked it but was easily able to put it down and walk away for a while.
June 12, 2021
This was actually a wonderful read! I don’t normally read women’s fiction, but perhaps I should pick it up a bit more, because again, I really liked this! We follow a group of 5 women who have been friends since childhood, and now hold a book club where they get to catch up, drink, eat and talk books. The story kind of begins when they each reveal a secret one Easter that shifts the dynamics of the group.
There was a lot going on in this story, lots of themes and plot lines, but at the heart was a story of sisterhood. Each of the women had a moment of change and self discovery in this book, and through their downfall and crisis, they had each other to ground, support and guide them. Each story equally pained me and also made me happy. As Anita Heiss is an Aboriginal woman, this story also explored what it looks like being a modern Aboriginal woman who still maintains ways to be attached and connected to culture and land. Two of the woman in the group are not Aboriginal, and so seeing their dynamics play out was also enlightening. The book does cover some controversial and hard hitting themes, such as alcoholism, infertility, miscarriage, abortion, divorce and racism. My only major gripe with this story, is I hated what Heiss did with Xanthe in the epilogue. I felt it was unnecessary and really off putting, and her story was given a bittersweet closure without that. Anyway, I enjoyed this overall and cannot wait to read more from this author.
Here is a link to Anita Heiss’s book challenge, filled with Indigenous literature. I’m excited to make my way through this
http://anitaheissblog.blogspot.com/20...
There was a lot going on in this story, lots of themes and plot lines, but at the heart was a story of sisterhood. Each of the women had a moment of change and self discovery in this book, and through their downfall and crisis, they had each other to ground, support and guide them. Each story equally pained me and also made me happy. As Anita Heiss is an Aboriginal woman, this story also explored what it looks like being a modern Aboriginal woman who still maintains ways to be attached and connected to culture and land. Two of the woman in the group are not Aboriginal, and so seeing their dynamics play out was also enlightening. The book does cover some controversial and hard hitting themes, such as alcoholism, infertility, miscarriage, abortion, divorce and racism. My only major gripe with this story, is I hated what Heiss did with Xanthe in the epilogue. I felt it was unnecessary and really off putting, and her story was given a bittersweet closure without that. Anyway, I enjoyed this overall and cannot wait to read more from this author.
Here is a link to Anita Heiss’s book challenge, filled with Indigenous literature. I’m excited to make my way through this
http://anitaheissblog.blogspot.com/20...
March 20, 2014
Tiddas is a story about friendship. I was surprised to read that Anita Heiss had written a number of books as I found the writing a little too predictable and a more " tell style" than show. The idea of the common thread of book club meetings appealed to me and I thought it would be a great way to launch an in depth story of women and their different struggles and issues. The themes were certainly present however, I found the writing and structure a little boring and had to really push myself to finish it. There were no surprises and very little suspense. The indigenous element I found a little forced as if the writer needed to push that aspect of her personality and background. I was a little disappointed.
March 24, 2014
I’m as keen on a gossipy Sex-And-The-City style read in times of flu as the next person, so it was with relish and Clagged-up sinuses that I sat down to enjoy the latest Choc Lit offering from Anita Heiss. After the initial pang of disappointment that Nadine was not actually the teetotalling Lebanese character (haha!) that her name potentially indicated, I settled down to enjoy the different personalities of the five main characters and their complementary personal journeys.
Heiss improves in style and technique with each book and her passion is a constant. I found some of the head-hopping POV changes and some of the conveniently detailed dialogue distracting, but otherwise the prose is smooth sailing. For the dominant culture reader, educational snippets can be gleaned (ignorance of history is looked upon scornfully by the black protags) – one thing I was fascinated by was the news (to me) that Hands of the Rock, near The Drip at Ulan, is a Wiradjuri women’s site, and the next time I visit I’ll be the richer for knowing it; I’ve been to Wannaruah and Darkinjung men’s sites in the area with that furtive, trespassy feeling and always wondered where the women’s ones were.
Anyway. Whether your secret sympathies lie with the author, the funeral celebrant, the faux-celebrity, the divorced mother or the hopeful mother, the characters are so different it would be difficult not to pick a winner and be carried along on this entertaining and unpredictable ride.
Oh, and guess what? Indigiearth is not made up for story purposes. Quandong and chocolate-covered macadamias, YES PLZ, we should all be so lucky as to write those off as research ;)
Heiss improves in style and technique with each book and her passion is a constant. I found some of the head-hopping POV changes and some of the conveniently detailed dialogue distracting, but otherwise the prose is smooth sailing. For the dominant culture reader, educational snippets can be gleaned (ignorance of history is looked upon scornfully by the black protags) – one thing I was fascinated by was the news (to me) that Hands of the Rock, near The Drip at Ulan, is a Wiradjuri women’s site, and the next time I visit I’ll be the richer for knowing it; I’ve been to Wannaruah and Darkinjung men’s sites in the area with that furtive, trespassy feeling and always wondered where the women’s ones were.
Anyway. Whether your secret sympathies lie with the author, the funeral celebrant, the faux-celebrity, the divorced mother or the hopeful mother, the characters are so different it would be difficult not to pick a winner and be carried along on this entertaining and unpredictable ride.
Oh, and guess what? Indigiearth is not made up for story purposes. Quandong and chocolate-covered macadamias, YES PLZ, we should all be so lucky as to write those off as research ;)
October 17, 2014
Even though I finished reading Anita Heiss' latest novel "Tiddas" earlier this month, it has taken me some time to focus my thoughts for a review and I still find it not an easy task. There are things I want to say about this novel but I find I struggle putting the words into context. I found it, as with Heiss' other novels, a delightful read which touches on the heart of friendship and identity. Tiddas takes place over the course of a year in the lives of Izzy, Nadine, Xanthe, Veronica, and Ellen.
Tiddas deftly touches on a myriad of social issues and concerns but does so in a way which is both subtle and provoking. As the five women come to terms with changes in their lives and challenges to their friendships, they consider the impact of their own past and history on their current lives and any possible future for their children. Family is important. Cultural and social history is important. Friendship is colour-blind.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tiddas, sharing the journey of these five friends. I immediately felt connected with the characters and most certainly connected with the setting of Brisbane (having lived there myself for a few years many moons ago) - and Mudgee. Anita Heiss writes with such a deft hand. The depth of connection between the characters is heart-warming, their frailties real, their struggles touching.
It is, quite simply, a lovely read.
(originally reviewed on my blog)
Tiddas deftly touches on a myriad of social issues and concerns but does so in a way which is both subtle and provoking. As the five women come to terms with changes in their lives and challenges to their friendships, they consider the impact of their own past and history on their current lives and any possible future for their children. Family is important. Cultural and social history is important. Friendship is colour-blind.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tiddas, sharing the journey of these five friends. I immediately felt connected with the characters and most certainly connected with the setting of Brisbane (having lived there myself for a few years many moons ago) - and Mudgee. Anita Heiss writes with such a deft hand. The depth of connection between the characters is heart-warming, their frailties real, their struggles touching.
It is, quite simply, a lovely read.
(originally reviewed on my blog)
April 11, 2014
Disappointing. Too much preaching, too little good writing. The story of 5 tiddas (sisters) who grew up in Mudgee, but now live in Brisbane. 3 are of aboriginal heritage, and 2 are white. They each have their own issues. Izzy didn't want a family, but is now pregnant. Veronica is divorced and suffering an identity crisis. Nadine is an alcoholic. Ellen has commitment problems. Xanthe is trying to get pregnant. The story is based around a reading group, who only read Aboriginal stories. Disappointed that it could have been better if it was less polemic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2014
This book felt like one long lifestyle lecture:
- read books only on Aboriginal culture, history or authors
- do yoga
- eat organic
- buy your friends expensive presents for their birthday
- not only buy the Big Issue, but then recycle it to the vendor
Whilst I love the subtle education you get from reading fiction books I found this book to blatant which was off putting. I couldn't identify with any of the women and Izzy ended up being the only character I actually liked.
I hate giving Australian books a harsh review but this book wasn't for me.
- read books only on Aboriginal culture, history or authors
- do yoga
- eat organic
- buy your friends expensive presents for their birthday
- not only buy the Big Issue, but then recycle it to the vendor
Whilst I love the subtle education you get from reading fiction books I found this book to blatant which was off putting. I couldn't identify with any of the women and Izzy ended up being the only character I actually liked.
I hate giving Australian books a harsh review but this book wasn't for me.
October 25, 2014
Have much to admire in this novel about sisterhood and friendship. It will be one that will stay with me and I will continue to mull over the themes and sentiment within it. I loved the sense of community, love and respect of country, family ties and female friendship that flowed through the pages. Reminded me how important it is to give and take, no matter what the relationship is. There is definitely a special something about sharing things with your close friends as the characters do in this book. Am blessed that I have many special friends I regard as being my Tiddas.
January 1, 2025
I just love the way Anita Heiss writes. Her exploration of Aboriginal and Brisbane culture gives the reader an insight into life in Australia and the ongoing challenges. A beautifully written book about the power of sisterhood and their ‘village’ .
April 3, 2014
‘Tiddas’ an Aboriginal word for sisters (or “sistas”) and is a powerful term that describes the connection between the five women in this Heiss novel. Despite the absence of a blood connection, Izzy, Nadine, Xanthe, Veronica and Ellen share a bond that has lasted a lifetime irrespective of proximity, family commitments and jobs. Growing up in Mudgee that have all found their way to the Brisbane area where they are trying to make the best of their circumstances and support each other via their monthly book club catch ups.
There’s a strong presence of Aboriginality in this novel, with most of the women identifying as Aboriginal and working in roles that support their local communities. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story and even though it did feel a little forced in the beginning, I did enjoy the more relaxed undertones that emerged through the book and the challenges that these women faced. I also admired their strength, their connection with their Aboriginal heritage and their determination to be good role models and advocate for those who are underprivileged. I found each of the women in the novel interesting, but I could most relate to and empathise with Izzy and Xanthe… perhaps because I work in the perinatal field I’m around pregnancy and new mums all the time, so their stories really stuck with me the most.
Izzy has just been offered a role as the first Aboriginal woman to have her own television show in Australia but discovers she is pregnant. It’s unplanned; her relationship with the baby’s father has never been made ‘official’ and becoming a mother was never part of her life plan. Her career was her life.
Xanthe is happily married to her English husband Spencer and after five years they are desperate to have a baby together, but the pregnancy just isn’t happening. I could completely understand her obsessiveness to conceive and the discomfort this caused for her friends. I could also relate to both Izzy and Xanthe’s emotional experience when Izzy announces her unplanned pregnancy. I liked how these two women manage to work through this and support each other.
Nadine was also a fascinating character, but one I believed experienced the least growth, presumably because the growth would occur long after the story in Tiddas finishes. I was relieved to see this successful novelist and alcoholic develop some insight and take charge of her life.
Veronica, a newly divorced woman who is redefining her identity and the carefree Ellen who is content with the occasional fling; play a smaller role in this story but were certainly integral to the dynamics of this close-knit group and also experienced a sense of self-awareness and found a way to take control of their life also.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my first Anita Heiss novel; I admire the story she created with five such different women while giving them each the space to shine in the novel. Tiddas is a fascinating book about women, relationships, culture, duty and connection.
There’s a strong presence of Aboriginality in this novel, with most of the women identifying as Aboriginal and working in roles that support their local communities. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story and even though it did feel a little forced in the beginning, I did enjoy the more relaxed undertones that emerged through the book and the challenges that these women faced. I also admired their strength, their connection with their Aboriginal heritage and their determination to be good role models and advocate for those who are underprivileged. I found each of the women in the novel interesting, but I could most relate to and empathise with Izzy and Xanthe… perhaps because I work in the perinatal field I’m around pregnancy and new mums all the time, so their stories really stuck with me the most.
Izzy has just been offered a role as the first Aboriginal woman to have her own television show in Australia but discovers she is pregnant. It’s unplanned; her relationship with the baby’s father has never been made ‘official’ and becoming a mother was never part of her life plan. Her career was her life.
Xanthe is happily married to her English husband Spencer and after five years they are desperate to have a baby together, but the pregnancy just isn’t happening. I could completely understand her obsessiveness to conceive and the discomfort this caused for her friends. I could also relate to both Izzy and Xanthe’s emotional experience when Izzy announces her unplanned pregnancy. I liked how these two women manage to work through this and support each other.
Nadine was also a fascinating character, but one I believed experienced the least growth, presumably because the growth would occur long after the story in Tiddas finishes. I was relieved to see this successful novelist and alcoholic develop some insight and take charge of her life.
Veronica, a newly divorced woman who is redefining her identity and the carefree Ellen who is content with the occasional fling; play a smaller role in this story but were certainly integral to the dynamics of this close-knit group and also experienced a sense of self-awareness and found a way to take control of their life also.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my first Anita Heiss novel; I admire the story she created with five such different women while giving them each the space to shine in the novel. Tiddas is a fascinating book about women, relationships, culture, duty and connection.
March 18, 2023
I agree with all the negative reviews written here… Nothing about the story read true for me. In itself, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but sadly, I found myself cringing through dialogue I felt was factitious, characters that didn’t feel real, and a story that likewise, just seemed to lack genuine substance and authenticity.
July 24, 2023
Things I loved about this book:
- the descriptions of my home city of Brisbane,
- the relationships and strong female friendships of the central characters,
- the things I learnt about how aboriginal Australians feel about being on country and the characters connection to the land
I really enjoyed reading those aspects of Tiddas, and it made me think of my own female friendship circle (including my own Bookclub Tiddas), however I agree with some other reviewers that it often felt disjointed and I struggled with some of the storyline’s, particularly Xanthe’s and Ellen’s.
Overall glad I read this and rate it a solid 3.5.
Anita Heiss has evolved so much as a writer with her later book Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray - if you read Tiddas I recommend you also read River of Dreams.
- the descriptions of my home city of Brisbane,
- the relationships and strong female friendships of the central characters,
- the things I learnt about how aboriginal Australians feel about being on country and the characters connection to the land
I really enjoyed reading those aspects of Tiddas, and it made me think of my own female friendship circle (including my own Bookclub Tiddas), however I agree with some other reviewers that it often felt disjointed and I struggled with some of the storyline’s, particularly Xanthe’s and Ellen’s.
Overall glad I read this and rate it a solid 3.5.
Anita Heiss has evolved so much as a writer with her later book Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray - if you read Tiddas I recommend you also read River of Dreams.
March 12, 2015
Love that the main characters of this novel are slightly older than what is standard in this genre. There seems to be lots of books about women in their 20's, 30's then a big gap and they start again over 60 with some saucy senility texts. This book fills a big fat gap that has just been waiting to be filled.
I'm in my 30's and loved this book. It's about friendships, it's about success, it's about questioning what your dreams are and negotiating your own morality in the face of friends and society. Heavy themes but covered in a very fresh way so that you do not feel lectured at. Loved it.
I'm in my 30's and loved this book. It's about friendships, it's about success, it's about questioning what your dreams are and negotiating your own morality in the face of friends and society. Heavy themes but covered in a very fresh way so that you do not feel lectured at. Loved it.
March 31, 2014
Oh dear. I couldn't get past the first few chapters of this novel. Could the characters have been more cliched? One who can't conceive, one who did (accidentally), one recently divorced... you get the picture.
And was it really necessary to use the word "tiddas" on practically every page? We get it, we get it already!
And was it really necessary to use the word "tiddas" on practically every page? We get it, we get it already!
February 19, 2015
I found it quite boring
July 4, 2021
Here’s the synopsis in two words. Ready?
NOTHING HAPPENS.
No, really. By the end of the book, I thought I could give the author some credit. One of the most boring books I’ve ever finished ended with a tiny bit of character development and a happy ending. Great! Until the epilogue… in which
So with the ending out of the way, I asked a genuine question. What was the purpose of this book? Well, perhaps I could get the answer from the title, Tiddas. Tiddas is an Australian Aboriginal pidgin word for “sisters”. So is the book about friendship then? Well, yes, if you wanted to take notes on how to be a terrible friend.
Genuinely, I am disappointed because I purposely went out to read a book from an indigenous author. First, as part of a prescribed reading challenge, and because I thought it would be good to get some kind of understanding of the original people that I now share a country with. I wanted to learn something.
Instead, I received sprinkles of awkward preaching about the social and political issues surrounding Indigenous Australians, with no real context for a foreigner like me to grasp. Reading the existing reviews of this book, I’m not alone!
It’s obvious to me that the author really loves Brisbane, or at least knows the area well, which… is great, when it’s well-written. But I suspect only Brisbanians would appreciate the descriptions, and it would be purely for nostalgic reasons. I’ve never been to Brisbane, so the frequently described landscape or culture of the many suburbs mentioned meant nothing to me.
The last book I read I also rated two stars, but at least that was an interesting read! I’m beginning to think I’m just not a fan of propaganda. Who would have thought…
NOTHING HAPPENS.
No, really. By the end of the book, I thought I could give the author some credit. One of the most boring books I’ve ever finished ended with a tiny bit of character development and a happy ending. Great! Until the epilogue… in which
So with the ending out of the way, I asked a genuine question. What was the purpose of this book? Well, perhaps I could get the answer from the title, Tiddas. Tiddas is an Australian Aboriginal pidgin word for “sisters”. So is the book about friendship then? Well, yes, if you wanted to take notes on how to be a terrible friend.
Genuinely, I am disappointed because I purposely went out to read a book from an indigenous author. First, as part of a prescribed reading challenge, and because I thought it would be good to get some kind of understanding of the original people that I now share a country with. I wanted to learn something.
Instead, I received sprinkles of awkward preaching about the social and political issues surrounding Indigenous Australians, with no real context for a foreigner like me to grasp. Reading the existing reviews of this book, I’m not alone!
It’s obvious to me that the author really loves Brisbane, or at least knows the area well, which… is great, when it’s well-written. But I suspect only Brisbanians would appreciate the descriptions, and it would be purely for nostalgic reasons. I’ve never been to Brisbane, so the frequently described landscape or culture of the many suburbs mentioned meant nothing to me.
The last book I read I also rated two stars, but at least that was an interesting read! I’m beginning to think I’m just not a fan of propaganda. Who would have thought…
October 2, 2021
3.5★
I loved the Brisbane setting, and it was interesting to read a novel about a group of Aboriginal women in an informal bookclub. It’s a shame that there was quite a bit of vulgarity, although it wasn’t entirely gratuitous. It’s a book I’d consider recommending to my mum, however I don’t think she’d like the liberal amount of swearing or one of the characters’ (Ellen’s) approach to sex.
Despite that, I was tossing up between giving it 3.5★ or 4★, but the ending left one storyline in particular unresolved, and it didn’t feel like a 4★ book after that.
I loved the Brisbane setting, and it was interesting to read a novel about a group of Aboriginal women in an informal bookclub. It’s a shame that there was quite a bit of vulgarity, although it wasn’t entirely gratuitous. It’s a book I’d consider recommending to my mum, however I don’t think she’d like the liberal amount of swearing or one of the characters’ (Ellen’s) approach to sex.
Despite that, I was tossing up between giving it 3.5★ or 4★, but the ending left one storyline in particular unresolved, and it didn’t feel like a 4★ book after that.
October 14, 2022
I was blessed to see this stage production at La boite theatre as part of the Brisbane Festival. What a wonderful night, met you Anita Heiss, and the show was fantastic.
Well the book was also a great read.
This is a story of friends, life, and best of all the love of books.
The friendship between five friends who grew up together and even though life took them in different directions, it also bought them back together for the love of reading and friendship.
Anita makes you understand contemporary Aboriginal issues that these five women will face and sisterhood.
Well the book was also a great read.
This is a story of friends, life, and best of all the love of books.
The friendship between five friends who grew up together and even though life took them in different directions, it also bought them back together for the love of reading and friendship.
Anita makes you understand contemporary Aboriginal issues that these five women will face and sisterhood.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2023
Book club read...
Really didn't enjoy this book at all, full of stereotypes, repetitive story, annoying characters who are all the exact same voice with nothing distinguishing one from the others. Hardly anything actually happens in the story itself and I wanted to stop reading after the second chapter but finished it because book club 🙂
Reluctant one star review because I wanted to give it zero.
Really didn't enjoy this book at all, full of stereotypes, repetitive story, annoying characters who are all the exact same voice with nothing distinguishing one from the others. Hardly anything actually happens in the story itself and I wanted to stop reading after the second chapter but finished it because book club 🙂
Reluctant one star review because I wanted to give it zero.
September 5, 2025
A lot of people like books about middle-class, heterosexual, consumer femininities and as an example of that sort of thing this is fine. I find it shallow but I have heard arguments saying we should let women have shallow things.
I have some questions about where we draw the line but people are going to like what they like and this is an equal or better work to most others of the type. Having some Aboriginal characters drawn well makes a nice change. We need more of that in every genre...and not always sad, difficult stories I guess.
I have some questions about where we draw the line but people are going to like what they like and this is an equal or better work to most others of the type. Having some Aboriginal characters drawn well makes a nice change. We need more of that in every genre...and not always sad, difficult stories I guess.
May 5, 2024
I picked this up for a reading challenge. It was an okay read, a bit choppy.
I liked the concept of the story concerning female friendships and the ups and downs involved in a long term friendship. It bogged down in places and I have to admit I skipped parts to get to the end. I liked that the ending was realistic and not all rosy.
I liked the concept of the story concerning female friendships and the ups and downs involved in a long term friendship. It bogged down in places and I have to admit I skipped parts to get to the end. I liked that the ending was realistic and not all rosy.
January 16, 2025
Having had the privilege of meeting Dr Heiss and hearing her speak so passionately about it, I was really excited to start this book. There is a lot to like in this book, but it was not a book that I loved, and I ended up having very mixed feelings about it.
First of all, the book stands, in many ways, as an example of why showing rather than telling in writing is so important. This book does a lot of telling, sometimes becoming almost very preachy in tone, and the telling is done at the expense of the reader's emotional connection with both the characters and the story. The best example of this I can think of is the funeral, where the reader is told what happens, and what was said, without ever actually getting to experience what the various different characters were feeling. It was a real missed opportunity to get that emotional attachment between the reader and the story, but the whole scene left me feeling somewhat cold. I simply didn't care. There are far too many examples of where the reader is told something rather than being shown it, from 'Xanthe was feeling lonely' to 'the women underwent a range of emotions'.
The best way the author avoided this sort of detached telling was through dialogue, and this was one of the many strengths of the book. When the characters were talking to each other, you really got a sense of each individual personality that was driving the friendship forward. The book would make a good play, which it is currently being transformed into, largely because you need the actors to live and breathe the emotions that we are only told about in the book.
My only other real comment is that while one of the strengths of the book is the way in which it deals with issues about race and heritage, again, quite often, it became quite preachy. There are better ways of educating your readers than telling us all the history like we are reading a text book. It was done much better when the history came through the lens of a character's experience, as for example, when Xanthe tells her tiddas about her mum and grandmother's experience of forced removal from their families. That had impact.
All in all, I ended this book feeling that while I enjoyed the deconstruction of the friendship of the tiddas that occurs throughout the book, it could have been a much stronger story if the writer had but allowed herself to drift away from the need to constantly stand over the reader telling us how we are supposed to feel. To that end, I note that this book was an early one for the author. I can only hope that as she continued her writing that she matured in her approach to story telling. At this point in time, however, I am not tempted to try another of her books.
First of all, the book stands, in many ways, as an example of why showing rather than telling in writing is so important. This book does a lot of telling, sometimes becoming almost very preachy in tone, and the telling is done at the expense of the reader's emotional connection with both the characters and the story. The best example of this I can think of is the funeral, where the reader is told what happens, and what was said, without ever actually getting to experience what the various different characters were feeling. It was a real missed opportunity to get that emotional attachment between the reader and the story, but the whole scene left me feeling somewhat cold. I simply didn't care. There are far too many examples of where the reader is told something rather than being shown it, from 'Xanthe was feeling lonely' to 'the women underwent a range of emotions'.
The best way the author avoided this sort of detached telling was through dialogue, and this was one of the many strengths of the book. When the characters were talking to each other, you really got a sense of each individual personality that was driving the friendship forward. The book would make a good play, which it is currently being transformed into, largely because you need the actors to live and breathe the emotions that we are only told about in the book.
My only other real comment is that while one of the strengths of the book is the way in which it deals with issues about race and heritage, again, quite often, it became quite preachy. There are better ways of educating your readers than telling us all the history like we are reading a text book. It was done much better when the history came through the lens of a character's experience, as for example, when Xanthe tells her tiddas about her mum and grandmother's experience of forced removal from their families. That had impact.
All in all, I ended this book feeling that while I enjoyed the deconstruction of the friendship of the tiddas that occurs throughout the book, it could have been a much stronger story if the writer had but allowed herself to drift away from the need to constantly stand over the reader telling us how we are supposed to feel. To that end, I note that this book was an early one for the author. I can only hope that as she continued her writing that she matured in her approach to story telling. At this point in time, however, I am not tempted to try another of her books.
July 20, 2016
a terrific novel with a strong sense of place and wonderful characters & relationships.
I cared about all the characters, whether they were being "likeable" or not. great emotional truth in the five women and in their interactions with each other, and with their families and communities, both in their home town of Mudgee and the city of Brisbane where they now live.
I sometimes found it an effort to keep track of all the women's stories, and felt that I got to know them at different rates - maybe my problem rather than a flaw in the novel. Once or twice I did feel that a scene ended abruptly - as when we saw the set-up for a book club meeting, but not the get-together itself. Never really felt that we knew what was behind Nadine's drinking - but that is true to life, isn't it?
the end of the novel is satisfying without wrapping all the stories up too neatly - something that I read Anita Heiss did deliberately, wanting to give her readers a sense of fulfilment without giving everything an obvious "happy ending", or leaving any of the characters without a sense of hope.
great depiction of women approaching 40 and confronting their values and where they've got to in their lives.
I've enjoyed all of Heiss's lighter chick lit novels (and they always had substantial themes of culture and politics, Aboriginal identity, and creativity, as well as the romance & friendship elements), and this is a deeper exploration of similar territory.
recommended for anyone who enjoys character-based novels, stories about women & friendship, mid-life contemplation, wonderful descriptions of food, and "local colour".
I cared about all the characters, whether they were being "likeable" or not. great emotional truth in the five women and in their interactions with each other, and with their families and communities, both in their home town of Mudgee and the city of Brisbane where they now live.
I sometimes found it an effort to keep track of all the women's stories, and felt that I got to know them at different rates - maybe my problem rather than a flaw in the novel. Once or twice I did feel that a scene ended abruptly - as when we saw the set-up for a book club meeting, but not the get-together itself. Never really felt that we knew what was behind Nadine's drinking - but that is true to life, isn't it?
the end of the novel is satisfying without wrapping all the stories up too neatly - something that I read Anita Heiss did deliberately, wanting to give her readers a sense of fulfilment without giving everything an obvious "happy ending", or leaving any of the characters without a sense of hope.
great depiction of women approaching 40 and confronting their values and where they've got to in their lives.
I've enjoyed all of Heiss's lighter chick lit novels (and they always had substantial themes of culture and politics, Aboriginal identity, and creativity, as well as the romance & friendship elements), and this is a deeper exploration of similar territory.
recommended for anyone who enjoys character-based novels, stories about women & friendship, mid-life contemplation, wonderful descriptions of food, and "local colour".
September 18, 2015
The colours of Brisbane suffuse this delightful book of female friendship in the 21st century. It's Black, Blue and Purple with a hint of tears and a beautifully tart taste of reverse racism, because this is a book with black protagonist's, the need for soul gagging PC evaporates, leaving room for real women in a real Brisbane. Blue because you can't have this book without the river threading through the lives and loves of the 5 friends from Mudgee (yes, that is a real place, I confess that I google mapped it because I wasn't sure) who moved to Brisvegas. Purple for the jacaranda trees that burst into the Brisbane experience every spring, bright and temporary in their evanescent glory.
Anita Heiss' books are mapped and grounded in modern aboriginal Australia, and I love it. As a migrant myself, aboriginal peoples have been mostly invisible to my Australian experience, and after meeting Anita Heiss I realise why, they look like everyone else in this multicultural city. Or really even a little like Indians, Anita and the other aboriginal writers I met recently, wouldn't turn a head in an Indian crowd, and the aunties and mums with their preoccupation for babies and family are very familiar too.
I was so happy that the plot was not find true love and a man and settle down, but much more realistic, contemporary and subversive, do you really know yourself and your closest friends, and what would happen when you do?
I'm so glad I found this writer and her books to add to my repertoire of favourite books and writers!
Anita Heiss' books are mapped and grounded in modern aboriginal Australia, and I love it. As a migrant myself, aboriginal peoples have been mostly invisible to my Australian experience, and after meeting Anita Heiss I realise why, they look like everyone else in this multicultural city. Or really even a little like Indians, Anita and the other aboriginal writers I met recently, wouldn't turn a head in an Indian crowd, and the aunties and mums with their preoccupation for babies and family are very familiar too.
I was so happy that the plot was not find true love and a man and settle down, but much more realistic, contemporary and subversive, do you really know yourself and your closest friends, and what would happen when you do?
I'm so glad I found this writer and her books to add to my repertoire of favourite books and writers!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews