I Am Nannertgarrook

by Tasma Walton

Winner of the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize
Shortlisted for the 2025 NiB Literary Award

Based on the true story of Tasma Walton’s ancestor, a powerful, heart-wrenching novel about maternal love that endures against pitiless odds. Kidnapped by sealers and enslaved far from her homeland, Nannertgarrook has a spirit that refuses to bow …

From her idyllic life in sea country in Nerrm (Port Phillip Bay, Victoria), Nannertgarrook is abducted and taken to a slave market, leaving behind a husband, daughter and son. Pregnant when seized, she soon gives birth to another son, whom she raises with the children of her fellow captives.

Nannertgarrook is separated not only from her Boonwurrung family, but from her birthright – the ceremonies she once was so joyously part of, the majestic whales who are her totem, the land and sky and sea country and its creatures. All these things she loves as deeply as she does her blood kin.

But now, as her reality becomes profoundly different, she must keep that family and her old life alive in her mind. Their rich, pulsating elements sing to us through her beautiful voice, even while Nannertgarrook herself is subjected to the worst of humanity. This sweeping novel asks us to consider who, in colonial history, were the real savages, and what it truly means to be civilised.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Indigenous, Fiction, Australia, Book Club, Historical, Audiobook

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2025

Reviews

[Viv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Tasma Walton for her work I am Nannertgarrook.
This book isn’t for everybody, but it is for everybody. I felt the book was written like poetry. The author does a lot of “world building” in the sense of taking the reader right before Whites arrived and plundered the land ruthlessly without abandon.
There are some hard subjects to read such as the rampant abuse including rape of children and women. Women being forced to carry biracial babies, losing true identity , being forced to conform to another culture starkly different to their own and the pillaging of natural assets to make way for farming.
I am left with sadness for the Indigenous and the horror they faced.
If anything, towards the end I felt the story slowed down a little with a rushed ending.
That said, I was moved by Nannertgarrook’s story,

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is near impossible to describe just how powerful this book is. I sobbed through the last two chapters and grieved for the lost lives of these courageous women. The book reminds me of the urgent need this country has for truth telling. Our history is such a shameful one and it’s about time we admitted it.

I need to add too just how beautiful the writing was. Descriptions of Country are beautifully lyrical and bring alive just how pristine our land was under the care of its original inhabitants. Once that was changed to ‘ownership’ the desecration set in. Thank you Tasma -it was a privilege seeing the land described through the eyes of her original people - how it once was,how it should still be.

[Gayle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has an important story to tell - it tells of some of the many horrendous things that white newcomers did to First Nations people here in Australia. Treated them as less, as slaves, as playthings, as non human, took away their very names, attempted to erase their culture and raped and killed, at the same time as attempting to assimilate, leaving behind a profound legacy of trauma.

It also tells of how they (began to and to this day continue to) destroy the environment, the animals and the biodiversity of this ancient land.

Given that it’s written by an Australian TV celebrity (who found she had Aboriginal ancestry in 2018) it should stand as a book that is read by many by recognition of name and the fact that it was apparently on the shelves of Big W at its launch.

Unfortunately I really didn’t like the writing style of this book - it was far too wordy for what it needed to say - and what it needed to say is unbelievably important.

When I found out it shared last year’s ARA prize with Robbie Arnott, I thought that the writing would be great, given Arnott’s is astounding.

However, there are so many words that the important subject matter often gets lost within the writing. It’s flowery and wordy, but not beautiful and it doesn’t build atmosphere well, just reflective and descriptive detail that more than often we don’t need, but when we do need more explanation or detail, it isn’t there.

Part 1 you could scan and not miss too much, but I get what Walton was doing - building a picture of serenity before the awful destruction and violence that is to came, but much urgency was lost in the second part through too many words.

This desperate want to scan continued for me in Part 2, but I forced myself to plough on through the words to get to the story and onto Part 3.

The story itself - based on Walton’s grandmother’s storytelling, is horrific. The whole history of Australia and how first settlers (and released convicts) treated the people of this land is something you could read about forever and never be able to fathom how humans could behave in this way to other humans. Europeans did this all over the world to so many peaceful people living in harmony with the land. These truths need to keep being told, so it’s important to move beyond the writing. I never listen to audiobooks, but I really feel that with this work, the audiobook, narrated by Walton herself could be a better way to engage with it.

75 pages trimmed and a more comprehensive ending would have helped this book to reach the potential that the story deserves.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book, narrative of an indigenous Australian woman stolen by white slavers and her story of capture. There is a strong contrast of her life before capture and then her enslaved life. Difficult to read at times and an important book to help everyone understand the past and the impact it still has on life in Australia today. Should be compulsory school reading. Thank you to the author for what must have been a hard story to tell. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this 10 stars I would.

I love Rachel Griffiths comments on the book ‘Tasma takes you to a deep time, a world on the cusp of ending. That’s both recognisable to us as a conquered land and unknown to most of us – the words and knowledge and stories of who was there before… I will hold close the gift Tasma leaves - an understanding of the women who walked the lands I know and the knowledge and love they held.’

Heartbreakingly beautiful.

Infusing her beautiful writing with Boonwurrung words throughout, Tasma Walton draws you into the world of Nannertgarrook and her love for her Country and her family, leaving you with a profound sense of loss at all that is taken from her and lost.

[BlueFalkon95 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stars
Personally this is a genre and story that I love and enjoy reading but unfortunately I was unable to capture the essence of the story. I understood the concept of the story yet found it difficult to grasp and failed to hold onto my attention. Even though I wasn’t able to fully understand or comprehend the story I still wrote this review to inform the author and publisher that it maybe a great story but not all readers might not be able to have a grasp of the story or being able to their attention held to finish reading the book. One day I will read the book again and update my review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.


#IAmNannertgarrook #NetGalley.

[Belinda Carpenter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book does not reach its potential

[Andrée · Rating 5 out of 5]

my pick for a 2026 Stella prize nomination. I am so glad this book exists. I learned so much.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

The darkness of history never seems to teach us a lesson.
Australia has a rich indigenous history that is smeared with brutal events and policies from the onset of colonisation.
White colonists took what and whoever from a land that had its own balance and rhythm.
Nannertgarrook and her family lived in Nerrm which is now known as the Port Phillip Bay Area.
A life not yet tampered with by the newly arrived white man.
The ocean providing a plentiful bounty and magical alliances with some its majestic creatures.
In an instant life changed for her as she was captured and sold into a world of slavery.
Witnessing humanity at its worst.
The treatment of the captives and the slaughter of millions of wildlife.
Forced to adapt she acquired skills to survive, endure and not lose hope.
A heart wrenching story that brings the past alive and holds it to account.
A strong woman at the centre who was not going to succumb to a regime that had no respect for her people and the animals that lived on land or the sea.
A moving tribute based on the truth.

[Melinda Mifsud · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me awhile to get into the story. I felt pulled to slow down to concentrate and almost connect with the land myself. To follow the story, the unfamiliar names, places and terms was challenging at the start but then the beauty at the start of the book unfolded. I fell in love with the people, the rituals, the country. I was all in.

But then the sharp contrast of what happens next is all the more profound. It was traumatic to read. But it had to be told and shared.

I can’t imagine how hard it would have been to research and retell this story in the most beautiful way possible but still no matter how much beauty and simple joys these women found in small things and their inner strength, this doesn’t make a dint in how hard this story is to hear.

It takes a courageous person to reshare such a sorry and a courageous person to read it.

I hope this story is read by many people. It’s important.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shattering. Story of a stolen life and world whic my past colonial family on the land contributed with their presence and refusal to see. Cried a lot. Now a day later - thinking about how affected by a book and putting it into words sometimes comes in bits and pieces. New thought. This book is poetry, beautifully written bringing densley detailed and vivid, colourful images to mind, emotions that are rich both positive and negative. Aboriginal culture through the words of one Aboriginal woman, daily activities always connected to her home place, closely bound relationships, women's world, family, acquisition of food, children, language, childbirth, and, most dreadfully, the yawning gap not only between her and the brutality and loss of absolutely everything but also of the difference between Aboriginal and that of those who landed in their thousands, and still remain, here. I 'knew' about the sealers and theft of women but there was a whole world of difference between the simplified sense I had of it and the dreadful reality. The way we non-traditional Australians allow our imaginations to tread lightly, ignorant of how we think about things we 'know' to be true of my/our Australian history, and what it really was. Along with that a feeling of despair that it was the way it was because it was inevitable. The type of European people who came here were the worst that could be or were desperate and - if they could have - would not have stayed. Lied to by emigrant agents or exiled or forcibly ejected they simply could not return, despite desperate to do just that. The evils men did to Aboriginal people one side, and the other to those who first came here, especially the convicts and emigrant women and children. Not making excuses here. Simply that if we had been the civilised, kindly, intelligent and smart people our predecessors - and we still - believe ourselves to be then things would have been different. Too many back then were not, and especially the quality of the men that came, and stayed but who in their own countries would have been limited in the damage they were capable of inflicting on others. How reconcile? what this work reminded me of was the importance of reading the histories - all of the history from all angles, over and over from both cultures, over and over til it sticks and treading lightly becomes walking beside each other. Have that courage.

[Ella Birt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and powerful story. Based on the story of Tasma's ancestors, I am Nannertgarrook follows the life of Nannertgarrook and her family from life and culture on Country, to her kidnapping by sealers and its ongoing affects across generations. The relationship with the land and sea that First Nations people hold, compared to the extractive relationship of the sealers/ other Europeans is front and centre throughout the book in a powerful and important way. The book creates links for the reader to connect what happened on the frontier to contemporary experiences in a very considered, first person way.

This will become my new top recommendation for people wanting to learn more about First Nations histories and cultures in Australia, who don't know where to start. Would recommend to all.

[Sam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sad, tragic story 😔. I did enjoy learning more about First Nations culture, rituals and stories, so much has been lost 😞.

Had to come back and update this review as I have not stopped thinking about this story. On one hand it is so heartbreaking - the kidnapping, degradation and physical and sexual abuse the women were subjected to, along with the loss on so many levels saddens me. On the other hand is the beautiful retelling of a culture steeped in love, connection, family, customs and rituals, along with a deep respect of the land and every living thing.

It has inspired me to dig out the Dreamtime story book I used to read whenever I was at my Grandma’s to reconnect with the stories shared by our First Nations culture ❤️.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

’I am Nannertgarrook.
Forever chained. Forever stolen. Forever screaming my fury at the invaders who destroyed it all.’

This was an immersive read for me, reading the ebook while listening to the audiobook. I loved the narration by the author.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nannertgarrook's story is devastating, and told with such empathy by Tasma Walton. The last few chapters took me a long time to read - it broke my heart. This book is urgent.

[Maxine Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pain and horror and beauty told in a wonderful voice.

[SS · Rating 3 out of 5]

The harrowing story of Nannertgarrook, an Aboriginal woman, who was taken hostage by settler sealers in Victoria.

The sh*t that this woman and others like her had to endure at the hands of these horrid people is atricous.

The book is not just an observational of the horror but allows the reader to learn about Nannertgarrook's culture and societal norms in her community.

Listened as audiobook.

[Helen Ginbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking, horrific & unimaginable treatment of First Nations women :( connection to country through Mother whale is such a beautiful part of the story & her underlying strength & hope. Important though difficult read.

[Chrissie Bellbrae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished I am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton and it was a fascinating but heart rending tale of her ancestor – an addictive but not easy read for many reasons. While it made me terribly ashamed of colonialist white man’s treatment of the indigenous peoples of this land I’m extremely grateful to Tasma for this story, and so glad I read it. I think it’s essential for us to acknowledge and accept all parts of our history.
I highly recommend this book - it's beautifully written with love of Country fierce and highly emotive. One thing you must be aware – you will need to refer to the extensive language glossary at the back to fully appreciate the text. I imagine reading on a device would prove a little more difficult!

[Mal · Rating 1 out of 5]

23 apr only 8 ratings, a whale on the cover, written by an actress I've never heard of and displayed prominently at big w for $18?? how could I not

7 may p93 so I'm just gunna edit as I go. god the style is boring. it's so melancholic and wordy you forget what the context is after they've described the backstory of every little thing. it's tedious. it's interesting how on the boat everyone is from a different land and they can't understand each other. I like language barriers so that's neat. yeah, boring

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tasma Walton, I Am Nannertgarrook, Simon & Schuster (Australia) | S&S Bundyi, April 2025.

Thank you, Net Galley, and Simon & Schuster, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Tasma Walton’s I Am Nannertgarrook is so far removed from my recall of her as the pleasant enough young police officer in Blue Heelers that I suffered elements of the dissonance that, at a level far beyond my experience, must impact indigenous Australians at levels unimaginable every day of their lives. It was a good way to begin reading this heartbreaking novel with its beautiful images of Nannertgarrook’s life in her own setting, where indeed she is Nannertgarrook, and the revulsion for a vastly different life after her captivity when her being is brutally questioned with her renaming as Eliza or no-one.

The first half of the book is a revelation that bears rereading. Walton’s rendition of indigenous life is beautifully woven, with women’s business in the forefront, but the coming together of families after their individual activities are completed, warm, loving, and full of humour. Walton draws us into lives that are complete with domestic and public tasks and events, together with the overarching world of Indigenous spirituality, the land and sea, and its inhabitants. On the outskirts of these lives, harmonious with the environment and with each other, hover the sealers. They bludgeon the seals with little concern for anything but their livelihood, and eventually bludgeon a mother and child, leaving their bodies for the Indigenous community to care for and mourn.

The second half of the book takes place in the sealers’ environment – brutal, uncaring, with values far removed from those experienced though Nannertgarrook’s early life. She and other women from her community are captured, enslaved, bear the sealers’ children and are given English names. Although I would have been satisfied with less of this period, its brutality being well described throughout Nannertgarrook’s lengthy life on various islands with her sealer captor. However, some of the detail provides valuable insight into the superior Indigenous hunting practices, their links with the land and their family and community feelings and beliefs. Records of the time, taken by an insensitive white researcher who appears on the island, provide yet more material about relationships between white and Indigenous people. Unsurprisingly, although outwardly benign in contrast with the sealers’ behaviour, they are brutal in their own way. Nannertgarrook’s eventual departure from the island when her captor falls ill is far from the return home she dreamed about, again demonstrating the benign brutality of white denial of her personhood.

There is a glossary of indigenous words, which is useful. However, the words become part of the reader’s language long before this. As awkward as I found this sometimes, the words being so far from my knowledge, they played a part in drawing me into the novel. After all, the Indigenous groups brought together on the sealers’ islands, being from different communities also had to communicate in unfamiliar language. They ached to understand each other well beyond any desire to be part of the language that would give them entry to the sealers’ world. Walton says that the next novel she writes will not be so harrowing, and I look forward to it. However, I feel privileged to have been invited into this one, with its mixture of beauty and suffering.

[Tessa Wooldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boonwurrung woman, Tasma Walton, reimagines the story of her great-great-great grandmother, Nannertgarrook, a saltwater woman stolen from her people and Biik (country) by sealers in the 19th century.

‘Around March of 1833, a group of young women, girls and an boy were forcibly taken by sealers from a beach at Point Nepean … They were sold in a slave market to sealers … One of those girls was my ancestor.’ (Author’s note)

The novel’s early chapters focus on the day-to-day lives of the Burinyong-Balak clan in the area later named the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. Nannertgarrook lives with her husband and two young children; she attends to women’s business; she learns elements of the ‘Lore and Ceremony’ of her people as befits her age and maturity.

The great sundering of this life comes with the arrival of the sealers. Nannertgarrook is taken first to islands off the coast of Tasmania, then to Kangaroo Island and lastly to Bald Island, not too far distant from the whaling station at Albany in Western Australia. In each of these places, she is sexually assaulted repeatedly and, over the ensuing decades, bears four children to her captors.

‘I am Nannertgarrook. And I am trapped … Forever chained. Forever stolen. Forever screaming my fury at the invaders who destroyed it all.’

Not only does Nannertgarrook lose her autonomy, her clan and her country, she loses the opportunity to complete her learning of women’s knowledge. The songs, stories and skills that would have been taught by her elders will never be revealed.

‘So many layers of yulendji [knowledge] I should have learned, knowledge nurtured and passed along to grow the next generation in the ways of our Old Ones. That unbroken line of women I am born from, so endless it stretches into the Time when memory first began.’

This is a painful story to read. It should be. Without recourse to graphic detail, Tasma Walton exposes a story of violence, of disregard for peoples and cultures, and of desecration of land. As a reader, I am grateful to Walton for her research and storytelling, and grateful to the generations of her family who have carried the memory of the story.

* * * * * * * * * *

In 2025, I Am Nannertgarrook won the ARA Historical Novel Prize and was shortlisted for the NiB Literary Award and the HNSA Historical Novel Prize (Adult category).

* * * * * * * * * *
You can find more book reflections on my blog, Thoughts from an Idle Hour.

[Maria Blackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I attended a festival where Tasma Walton was on a panel discussing writing the environment. She was the most compelling out of the four authors (I couldn't work out how some of the other authors' works fitted with the panel theme, felt like the festival organiser was reaching a bit there...??). I had not known any of the history about the 19th century whalers kidnapping and enslaving Indigenous women and children and the fact that Walton's own great great grandmother was one of those women made it an interesting premise. I had high hopes for this novel and recommended it to my book club.
So, I began reading and the first thirty or so pages is non-stop exposition. Maybe I am coming at this novel with a literary fiction angle rather than a historical fiction angle, but this irked me. Walton spends a lot of time establishing all of the characters in Nannertgarrook's clan and their connection to Country but it very repetitively emphasises the idea of idyllic pre-invasion life. Yes, I know that this is to contrast the horrific things that happen when the white whalers arrive, but it sometimes feels one-dimensional. The white characters also sometimes feel one-dimensional. The messaging is very obvious, which I am wary of stating because I know that Walton wrote this wanting to honour her ancestor. However, I have read plenty of Australian Indigenous authors who are able to show dimensionality in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous characters. Tony Birch and Melissa Lucashenko do this very skillfully.
This is not to say that the book didn't move me. I was hoping (futilely) for some scrap of happiness for Nannertgarrook as the book progressed but the ending was truly emotive. The hidden history of the whaling industry is horrifying and in many ways ongoing, in that Australia has the dubious honour of the highest rate of species extinction in the past two centuries.
Walton's research is thorough and the novel shows this through its use of Boonwurrung language and the evocation of country pre-invasion. I had high hopes for this, but in contrast to some other Indigenous writing set in the early colonial period, it did not stand up.

[Anne Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM NANNERTGARROOK is a meticulously researched historical fiction novel by Tasma Walton, based on a true story. It follows the unimaginable journey of Nannertgarrook, a mother, wife, and proud Boonwurrung woman, who is abducted from her home in Nerrm (Port Phillip Bay) by violent sealers who remain nameless throughout the novel—an act of activism in protest of their inhumanity.

Tasma expertly balances the harrowing brutality of Nannertgarrook's experience with her fierce love, unwavering sense of self, and deep connection to Country. Enslaved and forced to endure profound violations of her body, culture and liberties, Nannertgarrook’s despair and displacement are not just described—they are deeply felt by the reader, thanks to Tasma’s skilled storytelling.

At times, the empathy I felt for Nannertgarrook was overwhelming, and I had to step away. But what a gift this story is. Raw and harrowing, yes—but also rich with reverent depictions of kinship, culture, and an unbreakable bond with Country and clan. These are concepts that many modern, non-Indigenous Australians rarely experience or fully understand.

This novel doesn’t just illuminate what was stolen from First Nations people—it reveals the profound loss we all share. A loss of knowledge, wisdom, and a way of living that respected land, spirit, and connection. Imagine a nation where first settlers had sought to live in harmony and consultation with First Nations people. How much richer would our lives be, how healthier our environment? Instead, our shared history is marked by scars—fault lines that divide us between those who deny the past and those who empathise and advocate for truth telling.

I urge you to read this unforgettable novel. Whether your ancestry connects directly or not, we all live on stolen land. Acknowledging our bloody past, educating ourselves, and facing it with humility is our shared responsibility. Stories like I AM NANNERTGARROOK make that journey a privilege. This story changed me. How many can you say that about?

[Jackie McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Boonwurrung writer and Aboriginal actress, Tasma Walton's novel, I Am Nannertgarrook on National Sorry Day, felt especially poignant. It's about her ancestor's abduction from her idyllic seaside life in Nerrm (Port Phillip Bay, Victoria) by sealers. It emphasises the way Nannertgarrook is not just stolen from her immediate family, but also from the handing down of cultural knowledge and ceremonies, the country she knows so intimately, and her saltwater kin, like babayin betayil (mother whale). Seeing her robbed of these rich and enduring connections shows just how much we have to be sorry for.

With all the definitions at the back, it isn't the easiest novel to read on a Kindle, so suggest a paper copy, as there is a lot of community language in it. However, even without definitions, it's pretty apparent what is going on: "Men, white as the ochre of death, relentless slaughterers of the koormam. Sealers." Life before we came to this continent looked pretty idyllic: "Women and children going about their saltwater business, diving for abalone, fishing, gathering shells and kelp, holding their sacred ceremonies". What a mess we made of it.

Walton cleverly illustrates Indigenous ways of resource management throughout the novel: "Careful farming of Biik's abundant plains over many seasons means our murnong grow long and strong in family clusters, often bigger than a man's hand. As always, when we separate the yams from their family cluster, we make sure to put one back. This way she can sprout new babies for the next harvest, and the cycle sustains itself over again." By comparison through sealing, whaling, and even capturing birds and women, white men behave: "Like a toddler, they just grab what they want." There is rape, including child rape, death, and violence in this book, and it's sad, but Walton is a good storyteller, and the narrative pulls you through with yearning for Nannertgarrook to see her beloved Biik again.

With thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for sending me a copy to read.

[Toni Umar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to find the words to open my review. This story is beautiful, very passionate but heart wrenching too, I feel everyone who reads it will learn something and question what they knew about Australian history. The story is told by Nannertgarrook, a proud First Australia from Boonwurrung Country (now known as Port Philip Bay). The first part offhand book describes Nannertgarrooks happy life with a husband, two children and a new baby on the way. The family are closely linked to the community and the love of the ocean and country are described in detail - including amazing and wonderful descriptions of whales and their connections to each other.
In 1833 the locals are tricked by an arriving boat - and a group of women and children are abducted by sealers. The next thirty years or so of Nannertgarrooks life is described as she is used as a slave and moved to different island bases, much further away from her homeland. The sealers show no respect for the women and they are raped and regularly become pregnant with the sealers babies. Conditions are terrible, but the love and kinship between the women remains strong. Despite trauma and tragedy being a constant the women never forget their language or their home land and instil with love, this into their children.
Despite the terrible and shameful true history, I enjoyed following the story of the strong and feisty Nannertgarrook and the way the author has written about her great grand mother and family. The content is something g that everyone living in Australia needs to be aware and accepting of. A very powerful story that I highly recommend.

[Federica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tremendo.

In teoria parla di argomenti importanti e mi dispiace dare voti così bassi a storie che so essere fortemente ispirati da fatti realmente accaduti, ma il libro è stato scritto con i piedi.

Cerca di essere evocativo, ma risulta essere solo noioso e sembra scritto con l’aiutino dell’AI. Nella prima parte ho perso il conto di quante volte ho letto la parola “blissful” in tutte le sue declinazioni. Troppe. Ho capito che l’autrice voleva dare l’idea del posto perfetto che fosse Port Phillip prima dell’arrivo degli inglesi, ma cavolo la famosa regoletta “show don’t tell” non le è mai arrivata. L’amore idilliaco tra Nannertgarrok e il marito deve essere preso per buono solo perché la scrittrice dice così, ma le scene tra i due sono descritte proprio male (così come ogni altra scena all’interno del libro).

Un’altra cosa tremenda è che l’autrice utilizza tantissime parole aborigine. Sarebbe stato molto bello se solo lo avesse fatto con parsimonia, dando effettivamente tempo al lettore di capire il significato delle parole, piuttosto che spiattellarne 6 in una stessa frase e far ritrovare il lettore a leggere il libro in una lingua che non conosce (e lo dico da persona che legge libri non nella lingua madre, ma se in una frase riesco a riconoscere due parole in croce come cacchio faccio a capire che sta succedendo?).

Scritto male, c’è poco da fare. La storia di per sé sarebbe struggente, ma è scritto così male che distoglie tutta l’attenzione. Pare che nessuno abbia mai editato questo libro, ci sono tante di quelle ripetizioni che più di metà delle pagine si sarebbe potuta tranquillamente eliminare.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful novel, based on the author's ancestors story. The novel begins with Nannertgarrook waking with her daughter by her side and her young son nearby, both deep in slumber. They are living in their Biik (Country) of what is now called Port Phillip Bay. And for the first section of the book we learn a bit of their love of the land, the ceremonies and their connection with the other life around them including their sacred whales which Nannertgarrok has a strong connection. Of course this idyll is quckly shattered by the arrival of a boat with sealers aboard who kidnap several of the women and children, including Nannertgarrook, her daughter and cousin. She attempts to keep her dignity intact as well as the memory of her husband close to her heart as she gets raped by the sealer who claimed her. Her revulsion of the wongurrunin ngamudji (stupid white man) is strong, as he is unwashed, has alcohol breath as well as violent towards her and her kin. Once the sealers have slaughtered all the seals on Phillip Island, they move on to Wilson's Promontory where the scenes repeat, then to Gun Carriage Island and westward. The woman are forced to cook for the whites and then clean the skins of the animals. There are moments of peace, early in the morning and late in the evening when Nannertgarrok and her cousin and kids can fish by the beach and collect tucker for themselves and keep their stories alive in the evening. This is another powerful tale of Truth Telling. This story needs to be heard, especially by our politicians.

[Liisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful, deeply affecting novel that gives voice to the silenced.

In her second novel, Tasma Walton turns to personal history and cultural memory, drawing on fragmented archives, oral storytelling, and women’s lore to resurrect the life of her ancestor, Nannertgarrook. The result is a beautifully rendered, harrowing account of one woman’s survival in the face of brutal colonial violence.

Set initially on Boonwurrung/Woiworung Country, the novel celebrates pre-colonial life, community, and women’s connection to land and lore. Nannertgarrook is a mother, diver, teacher, and storyteller—her world is vibrant, spiritual, and steeped in tradition. Walton’s choice to write in the first person brings a raw intimacy that makes the eventual rupture all the more devastating.

The trauma Nannertgarrook endures—abduction, forced labour, cultural dislocation—is portrayed with clarity and restraint. Walton deliberately omits the name of her abductor, shifting focus away from colonial perpetrators and instead centring the strength, resilience, and agency of First Nations women.

This is not an easy read, nor should it be. It’s a confronting but vital piece of historical fiction that reckons with generational trauma while honouring survival and the power of ancestral knowledge. A necessary book for all Australians as we continue to reckon with truth and reconciliation.

Heartbreaking, evocative, and full of quiet strength. Highly recommend.

[Kt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: fiction - historical fiction, based on a true story, Indigenous fiction.

Does the blurb reflect the plot: very much so

Sum it up: No matter what I write here, it will not come close to articulating how amazing this book is and how emotional I felt reading it. Based on a true story, Walton has taken the story of her great great great grandmother Nannertgarrook and turned it into a novel that is so powerful, yet so touching. The plot moves at a slow pace, but it’s not a slow burn by any stretch. Walton masters this clever way of writing, which so few authors can do well; and thus gives the reader the opportunity to see the injustice, hurt, culture and the love that Nannertgarrook carries in heart through her eyes. This lifts the book to a whole other level, making it one that you can simply read as a piece of historical fiction, but better yet; one which if read beyond the words on the page; will tell you a story like no other from a truly horrific time in Australia’s history. Long story short, I cannot recommend I Am Nannertgarrook highly enough. It’s a must read.

Who should read it: everyone.

I Am Nannertgarrook is my tenth read in #ktbookbingo. Category ‘Released in 2025’. To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo or @peggyanne_readsandruns on Instagram.