Rainbow's End

by Jane Harrison

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

Genres: Plays, Fiction, School, Teaching

98 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

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

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

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

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

Reviews

[Clive Parkin]

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

[Nate Carmichael]

I'm Gladys
I am the voice of Gladys
Bye

[Ashlea James]

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

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

[Emma Balkin]

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

[ssatwikaa]

read for work- great play to highlight some of the daily struggles and challenges faced by Aboriginal women. The characters were really interesting and well established, and despite being a short read (only around 1hr?) it was able to allude to a range of different issues. The writing style was also pretty unique with the flashes between reality and dream-sequences.

[leima]

Reading this for English…

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

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

[Charli]

I read this book for school. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was paced really well and very easy to understand the deeper and underlining themes and topics. I love analysing this play and thought it to be simultaneously awe-inspiring and melancholy. Great, short read!

[Megan P]

*3.5

i liked it! pacey and heartfelt with a lot of clever symbolism. i was moved by the very sweet and optimistic note that Harrison chooses to end on here, especially considering how skilled she is at writing darkness (quite strikingly in Stolen).

[Jane Milton]

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

[Amy (Taylor’s version)]

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

[Rachel🌻]

4/5⭐

[Katg]

Excellent play

[Talisha]

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

[Steven Kolber]

A lovely and taut play, really fun.

[Kyla]

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

[pella]

also had to read this for english play study 🙃

[:)]

For english

[mohmina (taylor's version) ✩‧₊˚]

thanks vcaa for the recommendation

[Laura White]

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

[Lola]

I surprisingly really enjoyed this!

[nai ★]

yay (for school)

[ashley]

read this book for english and it was pretty decent.

[Kimberlee]

A multi generational play looking at the hardships Australian Aboriginal people faced.

[mia!!!]

read this, like the rest of our lit class, for school. had a ball being dolly :)

[Ren :)]

For school. I'm probably going to read this like 3 times but I'm only gonna count it once. I wouldn't but my reading goal needs help.

[Michael Sonnekus]

Passed my expectations

[Pino]

Read for school

[paige]

one of my VCE english texts, I really did enjoy analysing it! :)

[Amelia Roberts]

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

[Abby]

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