The Song Walker - Lagu Pengelana

by Zillah Bethell, Endang Sulistyowati (Translator)

Di mana aku?
Apa yang kulakukan di sini?
Dan... siapa aku?


Di tengah gurun gersang yang tak berbelas kasih, seorang gadis muda terbangun tanpa sedikit pun memori tentang siapa dirinya. Lalu, takdir mempertemukannya dengan Tarni, seorang gadis muda dari komunitas Penduduk Asli Australia yang tengah melakukan pencarian misterius.

Bersama, mereka melintasi pedalaman Australia yang indah, memukau, tetapi juga penuh misteri. Seiring perjalanan, tanpa disadari mereka menemukan makna yang mendalam tentang persahabatan, musik, dan jati diri mereka yang sesungguhnya. Inilah kisah petualangan luar biasa, tak hanya menggugah hati, tetapi juga akan menyingkap rahasia tersembunyi di tanah leluhur para Penduduk Asli Australia.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Childrens, Contemporary, Young Adult

326 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

Zillah Bethell was born in a leprosy hospital in Papua New Guinea, spent her childhood barefoot playing in the jungle, and didn't own a pair of shoes until she came to the UK when she was eight. She was educated at Oxford University and now lives in Wales with her family.

Zillah has written three adult novels (SEAHORSES ARE REAL / LE TEMPS DES CERISES / GIRL IN PROFILE) and three children's novels (THE SHARK CALLER / A WHISPER OF HORSES / THE EXTRAORDINARY COLOURS OF AUDEN DARE)

Reviews

[Rosie Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song Walker is a children’s story suitable for the ages of 9-12+. The two protagonists are both 13 years old so this would easily suit middle grade readers.

The story is set in the Australian outback, primarily in the Northern Territory, a very hot dry place with large open areas and few towns or people.


A young girl is alone walking through the wild landscape; she can’t remember who she is, where she is or why she is here. After a long cold night out in this place she is found by another young girl. This one is native to the land, a First Nation Australian; her name is Tarni.

Tarni is on a journey to find her sister; she is using her knowledge of the land and she invites the unusual girl with no name to go with her. Tarni gives the girl a name —Moonflower. Together they follow unseen ‘Dreaming Tracks’ as they make their way from one place to another.

This is a journey of discovery and friendship while it gently teaches the reader about Australia and some of its history and ancient belief in 'The Dreaming'. I learnt quite a lot myself. The ending pulls together another aspect of First Nation beliefs, and flows easily into the final chapter.


I really enjoyed this; it would suit young readers who are looking for a friendship and adventure story or who are interested in cultural fiction.

There are no colour pictures, but chapter headings are decorated with black and white images of birds. The book is also split into four main parts; each begins with a double page depicting the Australian setting. Happy to recommend.

[Meg Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Was interesting to learn about the Australian outback and aboriginals. Think this is a perfect read for Year 5-7, not sure if recommend it to older readers. Only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I’m a little undecided about how I feel about the ending.

[Wendy Bamber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing tale of two girls. One has woken up to discover she has one shoe, fancy, unsuitable clothes on and no memory of where she is or who she is. Memories start to come back and just present more questions. The other who finds and helps her, is a First Nation girl who knows precisely who she is and where she is going but is reluctant to share too much with her new friend. The walk across the dusty outback to a destination unknown is filled with thirst and danger, and makes for a great story. I love this author for year 6-8.

[Shafira Indika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5⭐️

Bercerita tentang seorang gadis yang terdampar di tengah gurun Australia. Ketika terbangun, ia bener-bener gainget siapa dirinya. Ia hanya melihat bahwa sepatunya hilang satu, dirinya sedang mengenakan gaun—tampak tidak cocok dengan tempat ia berada saat ini, dan ada kotak berbahan logam yang terkunci di sebelahnya.

Nightmare ga sih ini?!??

Untungnya gadis ini bertemu dengan Tarni yang berusia sepantaran dengannya. Tarni memperkenalkan dirinya sebagai Penduduk Asli—bisa dibilang semacam masyarakat adat di sana lah. Akhirnya mereka berdua berjalan bersama melintasi puluhan (atau lebih?) kilometer daerah pedalaman Australia. Tarni memperkenalkan sedikit kebudayaan mereka, salah satunya adalah lagu. Lagu ini menuntun para Penduduk Asli untuk bepergian. Mereka tidak butuh peta. Mereka hanya perlu menghafal lagunya. Demikian pula Tarni. Selain itu, Tarni juga memperkenalkan tentang kepercayaan mereka. Tentang roh yang menjaga kawasan tersebut. Tentang roh pengelana. Tentang kebiasaan masyarakatnya untuk tidak menyebutkan nama orang yang telah meninggal.

Banyak banget yang bisa diceritakan dari buku ini. Kekurangannya menurutku hanya 1 sihh alurnya slow dan di awal tuh minim banget informasi buat pembaca jadinya menurutku kurang engaging aja. Tapi kalo kalian mau membaca dengan sabar, jadi ketemu deh serunya buku ini dimana!

Buat terjemahannya aku no komen. Nyaman dibaca👍🏻 aku udah beberapa kali baca buku terjemahan terbitan BIP dan so far tidak ada yg mengecewakan!

Full review di ig yaaa <3

[Stella_bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suka😍😍😍 menurutku, tidak kalah menarik dari The Shark Caller yang juga menjadi salah satu bacaan favoritku sebelumnya
Selalu ada yang unik dan pengetahuan baru yang bisa dipelajari dari buku Zillah Bethell.. Kali ini tentang generasi yang hilang, budaya di Australia, topografinya, dan cara berceritanya itu lho, selalu memukau.. Walau formula yang digunakan mungkin serupa dengan buku sebelumnya namun eksekusi yang mumpuni menghasilkan karya yang sama sekali berbeda, salut🫡

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. That was a cool story.

[Suzanne Bhargava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly 😉

[nadinosaurus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kembali dibuat jatuh hati dengan karya Zillah Bethell, setelah The Shark Caller. Kali ini penulis mengangkat sekilas sejarah dan budaya Penduduk Asli Australia atau Aborigin lewat kisah persahabatan lintas latar belakang antara anak perempuan pedalaman dan narator dari kota yang kehilangan ingatan. Mirip dengan persahabatan Maple dan Blu Wing.

Dari awal sampai akhir isinya beneran berkelana, berpetualang, menuju apa yang mereka cari sekaligus menemukan diri sendiri. Latarnya menjelajahi ekologi pedalaman, lebih tepatnya Wilayah Utara yang jarang dihuni. Rasanya seperti menonton sebuah dokumenter sekaligus film bergenre survival. Tanah merah yang keras, kering dan melukai, gnamma yang tersembunyi, kuda-kuda berlarian, kanguru yang diburu, burung lonceng, fatamorgana, rumput spinifex membentang tanpa ujung, plum dan lidah buaya yang menyegarkan, gwardar yang mematikan, buah-buah yang beracun, roti biji akasia, dan juga cerita-cerita dari Tarni. Tentang leluhur mereka yang selalu menjaga, mengiringi, mewarisi cara bertahan hidup di alam luas dan menjadikan lagu sebagai peta, penunjuk jalan.

Di sini sekilas disebutkan tentang Generasi yang Hilang. Ternyata, ada semacam genosida kultural terhadap penduduk asli Australia dengan cara menculik anak-anak dan memasukkan mereka ke sekolah seperti residental school di Amerika. Menyakitkan.

Aku ngefans berat sama Tarni, seperti Blu Wing yang "ngemong" dalam sebuah pertemanan. Tarni punya keahlian luar biasa, bukan hanya mengelola emosi tapi juga dalam bertahan hidup. Tarni punya tas kanvas yang isinya lengkap, dari lampu darurat sampai perkakas untuk membuat sepatu. Rasa hormat Tarni terhadap leluhur, budaya, dan tanahnya begitu tinggi, menjadikan beberapa dialognya terasa hangat dan bijak. Karena Tarni juga, aku jadi tertarik untuk melihat lebih dekat komunitas Alyawarre lewat sosial media. Semoga bisa kutemukan Tarni yang lain.

[Tracy Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Shark Caller (haven't read others by Zillah Bethall) and really looked forward to this. I was lucky to read an advance ecopy (should have written the review yesterday though as no longer on my shelf!). I honestly didn't think I could like this as much....but I did.

We meet the first character, a girl, immediately....but who is she, how did she get there and where is there? There is the Australian Outback, as for who and why - that's the story! The next character is Tarni, a First Country girl who finds the mysterious girl in a black velvet dress with one shoe (also black and very unsuitable for her location) carrying a long slim case made of metal. When Tarni sees her she thinks she is dead - she very nearly is. Tarni names the girl Magpie. They are joined by a bellbird that Tarni has in a cage because it's wing is damaged.
Tarni says she will take Magpie with her - but where is she going? The girls seemingly have nothing in common but as their journey continues they become friends who are willing to stand up for each other. Not everything goes to plan, and everything is not as it seems. At a petrol station that Magpie doesn't go with her to, Tarni finds out something important. But she doesn't tell Magpie.
Can they survive and make it to Tarni's destination?

This story is outstanding. The girls' friendship is extraordinary and their journey is terrifying. The description of thirst and hunger - and sickness are amazing. Totally outstanding, I want this at school.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Kau tidak bisa mengendalikan orang lain. Yang bisa kau lakukan hanyalah menjadi dirimu sendiri. Dan ada untuk mereka di saat mereka membutuhkanmu.”

Suka banget sama buku ini, banyak pelajaran hidup yang dirangkum dengan keseruan perjalanan dua anak umur 13 tahun melewati padang pasir tandus dan cara mereka untuk bertahan hidup. Buku ini juga mengajarkan tentang orang pedalaman, suku asli penduduk Australia yang masih hidup secara tradisional dengan berbagai budaya dan cara hidupnya yang sederhana. Mereka yang seringkali disepelekan oleh pemerintah, dianggap kuno dan berusaha dimusnahkan, dengan mengambil hak-hak individual maupun kelompok yang mereka punya.

Buku ini mengajarkan ku tentang persahabatan yang kuat, tahu kapan harus bertahan dan melepaskan, bertumbuh bersama, saling menyayangi dan mengerti satu sama lain. Mencari tahu tentang dirimu sendiri, dan hidup di jalan yang kamu inginkan dan merasa bahagia menjalaninya. Untuk terus berbuat baik dan menjadi berani.

Buku yang sukses bikin aku berkaca-kaca di akhir ceritanya, sangat insightful, fun dan menenangkan hati.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Song Walker by Zillah Bethel is just incredible. It’s beautiful, it’s got so much depth. It’s a barren wasteland and a lush story of friendship, discovery and learning the history of a place. I adored Tarni and their whole journey. This made me cry. Zillah writes incredible stories with care and love, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great adventure with a twist, a girl is found wandering in the Australian outback with mismatched shoes and a violin case. She doesn’t know who she is or why she’s there. As the mystery slowly unravels, she finds herself in more and more danger. Really great middle grade story.

[Victoria-Melita Zammit · Rating 4 out of 5]

For somebody who doesn't know anything about First Country traditions and beliefs, this was a very enlightening read. A lovely story about grief, friendship and identity, and a really illuminating read about the struggles of Native Australians. Highly recommended for young readers.

[Ulrika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading for the Carnegie shadowing.

Well. This book is objectively good for the age range it is aimed at. For some reason, I was struggling with it a bit. I know I'm not really into a book when it seems like a chore to pick it up. The last third of the book did pick up and redeemed itself a bit for me but if I'm honest, if it wasn't for shadowing this would probably have been a dnf for me.

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book that transports the reader to the Australian Outback and opens with a young girl unsure of her identity. The young girl meets another girl, Tarni, who has her own mysterious reasons to be there. The girls have nothing in common but as their journey continues across the outback they become friends. Not everything goes to plan though, and everything is not as it seems. This is a story of friendship and self discovery and the ending - which I did and didn't expect felt rushed and could have been amazing. Definitely a great read. X

[Mo Mossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, a real page turner, every bit as good as "The Shark Caller".

[Alice Visser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this Carnegie shortlist novel set in the Australian Outback with a girl who can't remember who she is and a First Country Australian who helps her to survive. I can't write much as it would spoil the gradually unfolding narrative with several twists -- but it is beautifully written. Might be my choice for best children's read of the last year.

[Izzy Brooksbank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was dull. The author went to a lot of trouble to get permission for this book and to talk about certain tribes (I can't remember the names of the top of my head so please excuse me if I say anything incorrect) but I don't think she lived up to the expectation, i just meam that she could have talked about it more. However, it was a really nice book to binge, and I would definitely recommend to young readers or those interested in the information being the story. I will be looking out for any other books by her as her writing style is lovely 😊

[Anthony Frobisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell

The Song Walker is a book of dreams and destinies, of landscapes and histories, of spirits and friendship, of truth, reality and imagination. It is a story that you read not so much page by page, but in time with each momentous footstep across the rugged, parched red earth of the Northern Territories, the homeland of the Alyawarre aborigines.
A story that is beautifully written, encompassing a growing friendship between a girl who does not know who she is, and why she is alone in the remote Australian outback and Tarni, an Alyawarre girl who rescues and helps her gradually piece her life together.
As they journey across the scorched desert, the true understanding of friendship and life becomes apparent. Each helping the other in unexpected ways.
The ending of the book is unforeseen, breathtaking. Your heart rests in your mouth waiting for resolution.
A book that writes of bellbirds and wondering spirits, of wild peaches and brumby horses, of the dreamtime and songlines, of classical music and indigenous culture. But at its essence a book that writes of the true connection between people.
That is the beauty of Zillah Bethell's writing. How she transports you with every sentence, carries you along chapter by chapter, wraps you in a story that has depth, power, heart, meaning, but most of all humanity.
A wonderful book that will be read in schools by everyone. A book that will enlighten children and capture adults hearts alike.

[Milly Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2024 and I do hope this gets onto the shortlist. This is my favourite so far. This is such a beautiful book, full of the Australian outback, full of friendship and full of ancient beliefs. A young girl finds herself in the wilderness wearing a black dress not suited to the environment. She has one shoe and is carrying a silver case. That is all she knows as she can't remember why she is there, how she got there, what happened to her shoe and most important of all, she can't remember her name. When she collapses, she is found by an young First Nation Australian girl, Tarni. Tarni is crossing the outback to find her sister and she takes the young girl, who she names Moonflower, with her. Together these two 13 year olds set out on a journey, following the Dreaming Tracks that are passed down through the generations. This is a story of friendship and self discovery and the ending - which I did and didn't expect is perfect. The writing is gorgeous with its landscapes, its brumbly horses and its iridescent snakes, its songs and its links to indigenous culture. I loved the story of these two very different girls who find that each has the power to help the other. A super read.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very enjoyable and quite addicting however I do think the 'it was all a dream' at the end was a bit anti climactic and a bit of a let down

[Wardah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terbangun di antah berantah aja udah ngeri, tapi terbangun di antah berantah dan GAK TAHU SIAPA DIRIMU kayaknya lebih horor lagi.

Begitulah tokoh utama "The Song Walker" ini. Dia gak tahu dirinya siapa. Dia gak tahu kenapa bisa terdampar di gurun Australia. Dia gak tahu kenapa sepatunya cuma sebelah. Dan dia gak tahu kotak logam yang dibawanya apa.

Tokoh aku kemudian bertemu Tarni, seorang Penduduk Asli, yang menyelamatkannya dan memberinya nama: Moonflower. Lalu dimulailah perjalanan keduanya buat melintasi pedalaman Australia dan menemukan apa yang mereka cari--sekaligus menemukan diri mereka sendiri.

YANG AKU SUKA:
- BANYAK banget budaya yang kuketahui dari buku ini. Budaya yang paling aku suka khususnya tentang lagu = peta. Kayak, cakep banget gak sih? Tarni dan anggota komunitasnya tuh pergi-pergi bermodalkan lagu yang disampaikan turun-temurun.
- Sejarah tentang Penduduk Asli yang disampaikan dengan ringan dan lugas. Mudah banget dimengerti sama anak (secara ini juga buku anak), tapi gak menghilangkan makna sejarah kelam tersebut. Suka banget juga gimana Moonflower, sebagai orang luar & pendatang, memandang kekejaman yang dialami komunitas Tarni :")
- Petualangannya! Gak kayak The Shark Caller, highlight utama di buku ini full dua karakter utama kita. Dan karena disampaikan dari narator-yang-gak-tahu-dirinya-siapa, thrill perjalanannya jauh lebih terasa. Pembaca juga ikut merasa was-was sama nasibnya--sama nasib Tarni juga.
- Ceritanya yang magis! Karena udah baca The Shark Caller, aku agak bisa menebak tentang twist cerita, tapi oh ternyata, penulis punya kejutan lebih banyak dari yang aku perkirakan!
- Perkembangan karakter "aku" dan Tarni. Khususnya pembaca bakal diajak buat menyelami pikiran "aku" dan gimana karakternya "menemukan" kembali diri mereka. Banyak simbol-simbol juga di buku ini dan menurutku seru banget kalau selepas baca bisa bahas sama orang lain.

YANG KURANG AKU SUKA
- Alurnya yang agak slow paced. Lebih tepatnya sih jadi greget karena pembaca juga banyak gak tahunya kayak Moonflower :D
- Endingnya yang kurang transparan. Mungkin penulis juga sengaja menuliskannya dengan simbol dan ditulis dengan subtil. Tapi aku butuh kepastian aaaa. Jadi aku butuh baca ulang buat beneran yakin sama akhirnya.

Selain itu, buku ini SERU! Secara literal merupakan buku petualangan dua anak mencari jati diri. :)

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song Walker is fantastic tale which meshes modern life with ancient folklore to create a gripping, emotional adventure. The novel is set in the Australian outback and features two girls from wildly different backgrounds, who converge in the middle of nowhere.

The girls walk together, each on a very different journey. Their conversations cover topics from the everyday to the sublime, which is echoed in the prose which moves effortlessly between child-like dialogue and lyrical description. Step by dusty step, a profound connection is made.

The first wandering child is our story-teller. Her total amnesia makes her a fascinating character and unreliable narrator. She meets Tarni, a girl of similar age, who uses the songs of her ancestors to navigate the country. Tarni is wise beyond her years, practical and stoical: she can skin a rabbit and is a hawkeye with a slingshot but we later learn that her heart is as big as the land she walks. She brims with personality, which more than makes up for the void in our narrator’s memory. It’s not to say that our narrator is a bland character: she learns and grows essentially from nothing on her journey, showing tremendous resilience and learning empathy. The different characters the girls encounter en route (some wise, some not-so-wise) add twists and turns to their adventures. Along the way, there’s humour, tears, fear, faith and lots of love.
Mystery upon mystery is woven into the story and Tarni’s First Country beliefs about the lands they travel help create the feeling that ANYTHING could happen.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song Walker is a remarkable story of friendship with girls helping each other.

The author Zillah Bethell has fantastic imagination that kept me entertained throughout to the very last page. For readers that like reading something a little different, this is definitely your next book.

A young girl as no idea how long she has been walking or where she has come from. Where she has been walking for so long her foot is hurting leaving one shoe hanging off the shoe.

The young girl is found in the dessert hungry thirsty, and sunburnt with only one shoe on. She is rescued by a young girl Tarni.

The girl with only one shoe, doesn’t know her name, or no idea why she is in the desert. Tarni gives the young girl a Billy Goat Plum that is an Australian Bush flower it’s high in vitamin C and quick with energy and refreshment and will quench thirst.

Tarni is so caring she makes a new shoe for the girl as she can’t keep walking around with only one shoe on. The only thing is there is nothing near the desert, no town, no Farm, and no mobile phone.

Both Tarni and the girl who found herself in the desert have secrets. The next real adventure starts when together, Tarni and the girl who doesn’t know her name trek across the Australian Outback.

The Song Walker is a real amazing story, not to be missed. Although this book is for 9+ its a brilliant book for book clubs as there plenty for open discussion. I highly recommend The Song Walker to all schools to stock.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quite frankly remarkable read, this starts with a girl with total amnesia, struggling to work out the basics of her existence, in the middle of nowhere. When a second girl joins her, she learns she is in the Australian outback, and now in the company of a 'song walker' – someone using a musical map from her heritage to trek for hundreds of miles across the seemingly empty lands. The narrative is both their physical journey, and of course their more metaphorical one, as they seek who they are and what they want, respectively.

And that's definitely as much of the plot as you need to know, leaving the rest as something you need to discover. It's forever incredibly readable and engaging, and from this untutored British point of view, seems to nail the accuracy and respect needed to get the Australian First Nations sense onto the page – about the only instance of a sensitivity reader actually being worth their oxygen. Written in Wales, by the sound of it, this certainly takes you somewhere else – to a place seldom written about, barely read about, and all the better and more memorable for it. Indeed, if I can borrow the musical terms it itself uses, this is actually about the harmony between White Australia and the First Nations. Except it's also about the fantastic plot, and the joy of reading such a thing. With a welter of emotional punches, this is definitely a standout story, and one of the highlights of my recent reading.

[Anne Boyere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually write up a short summary of the story but I won't this time because 1) I don't think I could do it justice and 2) I think readers need to just dive into it and discover... It actually took me a while to start writing my review as I didn't feel I could put into words just how extraordinary this story is. Someone was saying recently how important children's books are because they leave a huge impression on a young mind - everything is a discovery, everything is mind-opening and exciting. As adults, it's not as common to get such a deep reading experience as we do when we are children but The Song Walker does give you this. It's truly one of the most amazing books I have read this year and one of the most amazing books I have ever read.
The characters are deeply attaching and absolutely fascinating. The whole story's pace is very unique and all at once slow/steady and a page turner. The setting is breath taking. The plot is the most gripping ever and the twists are min bending. It is, in short, a wild and unforgettable ride.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book for the current cold snap - I felt the heat of the outback sunshine as I was reading!

Zillah clearly loves and respects the Australian culture and all its intricacies. I learned a lot in the course of this book! It's a fantastic read, very atmospheric and rich, a wonderful idea well realised.

I did not guess the big twist near the end, but looking back there were clues spread all the way through. It's such a well done read, I was almost literally glued to it, waiting to see what would happen. The friendship between the girls is wonderful, really touching, and I loved - oops, spoilers! I'd better not say. But I will say it involves a gallery, and when you see it you'll know.

Looking back, this had the potential to be a really spooky book, but it's not; it's lovely and heartfelt and cozy and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend.

[Arwen Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

finding your way through desert and back to yourself

A girl who wakes up in the middle of nowhere of the australian desert. Neither does she know where she came from, nor where she was heading. And she doesn't even know who she is. Tarni, a girl the same age, descendant of first country people, finds that strange girl and takes her on the way. Tarni knows how to find the way through the desert, but she doesn't want to tell, where she's going. With an ending I didn't see coming. It's a lovely story about finding the way in your life and back to yourself. It's also about true friendship and loss. And we learn about the culture of first country people also in a modern aspect. It really touched my heart and I still keep thinking about it afterwards. A book for kids 10+ (even adult me really enjoyed the journey).

[Isa Rive · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mouth is parched and I can almost feel the oppressive heat of the red dusty outback of Australia. A white girl in a black dress with no memory, is rescued by Tarni, a First Nation girl. Tarni uses Songlines to navigate across the countryside as she searches for her sister. Zillah’s strength is in her descriptions and there is drama and mystery which slowly unravels along the way. I loved her earlier book “The Shark Caller” so was a little disappointed that she repeats a similar plot twist. However if this is your first of her books, you will enjoy the surprise. The last 1/4 dragged out a little until the final wrap up which rather neatly concluded things. The story did give me a sense of awe at the traditional knowledge of indigenous Australians which has allowed them to live and travel through harsh environments. Worth a read (11-13 age recommendation).

[Jo Bardgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song Walker
By Zillah Bethell
Published by Usborne Publishing

The Song Walker is a beautiful new story, full of friendship, self-discovery and courage from Zillah Bethell, author of The Shark Caller.

"There are three questions that I need to find the answers to:
Where am I?
What am I doing here?
And... Who am I?"

When a young girl wakes up in the middle of the Australian Outback, wearing one shoe, a silky black dress, and is suffering from memory loss, things are intriguing from the start! And she's carrying a strange, heavy case, that blisters her hands and bruises her legs as she walks and runs from danger!

Then she meets Tarni, who is on a mysterious quest of her own. Together, they trek across the vast and ever-changing Australian Outback in search of answers. Except both are hiding secrets...from themselves and each other.

And so throughout this epic journey, their similarities and differences are unveiled through mirages, flashbacks and discussion. Cleverly written with a heart felt love of music and friendship, Zillah Bethell enables both girls to be successful in finding their true identity, via spirituality and loss.

Pick yourself up a copy of this superb second adventure by Zillah Bethell to discover how strength, determination and trust overcome loss, fear and danger. A truly moving and emotional read.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of children’s literature.

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