Edenglassie

by Melissa Lucashenko

Two extraordinary Indigenous stories set five generations apart. When Mulanyin meets the beautiful Nita in Edenglassie, their saltwater people still outnumber the British. As colonial unrest peaks, Mulanyin dreams of taking his bride home to Yugambeh Country, but his plans for independence collide with white justice. Two centuries later, fiery activist Winona meets Dr Johnny. Together they care for obstinate centenarian Granny Eddie, and sparks fly, but not always in the right direction. What nobody knows is how far the legacies of the past will reach into their modern lives. In this brilliant epic novel, Melissa Lucashenko torches Queensland' s colonial myths, while reimagining an Australian future.

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

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

Melissa Lucashenko is an Australian writer of European and Goorie heritage. She received an honours degree in public policy from Griffith University in 1990. In 1997, she published her first novel Steam Pigs. It won the Dobbie Literary Award for Australian women’s fiction and was shortlisted for both the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Award and the regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Steam Pigs was followed by the Aurora Prize–winning Killing Darcy, a novel for teenagers, and Hard Yards, which was shortlisted for the 2001 Courier-Mail Book of the Year and the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Award. Too Flash, a teenage novel about class and friendship, was released in 2002. Her latest novel is Mullumbimby published by UQP. Melissa lives between Brisbane and the Bundjalung nation.

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing about Lucashenko is that she manages to write with hope, even about things that seem rationally not to deserve them. Edenglassie is a foray into historical fiction, interspersed with a contemporary tale which connects the past to our present, and our future. In both sections, characters connect each other to something better, even when they are outnumbered by racist ignorance, apathy and violence.
While Lucashenko draws a contemporary Brisbane so real I could hear the drums and chatter at West End markets, feel the city concrete glare on my eyeballs and smell that weird summer mix of pollution, nectar and mango, it is the past that is the star of the book. Mulanyin is a compelling protagonist, and the vibrant Goori culture Lucashenko focus on makes for engrossing worldbuilding. Edenglassie joins Anita Heiss' recent, excellent, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray, in giving us historical fiction set in Indigenous communities, in which colonial violence is a major part, but not all of, the story. And as any regular Lucashenko reader would expect, the dialogue here crackles with humour and truth, making many of her characters in both eras people you'd love to be around.
While this doesn't have turns as whip smart as Too Much Lip, Lucashenko brings the story together in an unexpected way at the end, subverting expectations and completing cycles. There's just the right amount of over the top in the contemporary sections - and clear pointing to a way forward for all of us - while the past stays movingly, mournfully realistic.
I read most of this on October 15 2023, huddling in bed and trying both to remember that a world with Lucashenko in it can't be that bad, while trying to forget about an inevitable reminder about how far my country is from listening.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this could earn Lucashenko a second @milesfranklinliteraryaward. The dual timeline works nicely to illuminate our ugly and violent colonial history and its ramifications in contemporary life. I wasn’t always sure about the dialogue between Winona and Johnny in the near future timeline though perhaps that was me not appreciating their patois. It just occasionally felt a bit forced and unnatural. Lucashenko’s timelines use Indigenous understanding of time as cyclical rather than linear as we loop from past to near future, the reader understanding that we are there and we are here and it happened then but continues now. Faulkner said it well: The past is never dead. It’s not even past.

[Gavan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Self indulgent and poorly written. I really wanted to like this book more because Mulanyin's perspective on colonisation is interesting. But it often felt more like a work of non-fiction and was in some ways quite remote. A stronger edit would have improved the writing considerably. And the juxtaposition of the modern story was woeful: the Winona and Dr Johnny characters lack credibility (she is cartoonishly unlikeable and he is cartoonishly stupid; their attraction makes no sense). Very disappointing.

[Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucashenko has called Edenglassie her “big book”, and I can see why. I have no doubt that another Miles Franklin nomination (and probable win) is in her future. Blak joy, tragedy, and righteous rage all play out in these pages, with the same wisecrack cheek that punctuated her previous book Too Much Lip.

My full review of Edenglassie is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

[Brad Barlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening and heart wrenching. This work of fiction has changed my life. I have been reading this concurrently with David Marr's non-fiction 'Killing for Country'. I would thoroughly recommend others to do the same as they tie in very well. I live in South East Queensland and 'Edenglassie' has me now looking at the world I inhabit through a completely different lens. This book should be part of the Australian education curriculum for grade 12 students.

[John Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Melissa Lucashenko's Edenglassie is a fine novel, having been longlisted for the 2024 Stella Prize, yet surprisingly overlooked for the shortlist. Lucashenko, who previously won Australia's Miles Franklin Literary Award (2019) for her novel, Too Much Lip, delivers a compelling narrative that traverses the impacts of colonization and dispossession in Meanjin ( Brisbane), Australia. Through dual narratives, Lucashenko not only explores the historical wounds and dispossession inflicted during the Frontier Wars but also extends a hopeful vision for future reconciliation.

The historical storyline, set in 1854-1855, vividly depicts the colonization of Queensland (particularly what became the Greater Brisbane region), focusing on Yugambeh man Mulanyin and his burgeoning love for Nita, a Ngugi woman residing as a servant with the Petrie settler family. Tom Petrie's relationship with Mulanyin and his immersion in Turrbal language and culture, adds significant depth to the narrative.

Central to Lucashenko's narrative is the figure of Dundalli, an Indigenous resistance leader who fought against encroaching colonization. His eventual public hanging in 1855, depicted with harrowing detail, underscores the atrocities at the core of this narrative.

Lucashenko intertwines the Petrie family's settlement of areas like North Pine and Murrumba with Tom Petrie's profound connections with Indigenous communities. Notably, his daughter Constance Campbell Petrie honored the Indigenous warrior Dundalli by naming her Clayfield home after him. The Petries, emblematic of Brisbane's early settlement, contributed significantly to the historical fabric of the region. Andrew Petrie (Tom's father) is recognised as the patriarch of Brisbane's first free settling family

Complementing the historical narrative is a contemporary storyline set in 2024, focusing on themes of reconciliation and cultural survival and renewal. Granny Eddie Blanket, a Yagara elder in her 90s, and her granddaughter Winona navigate the complexities of colonial dispossession with varying perspectives. Their nuanced interactions, punctuated by moments of humor, offer a rich exploration of generational dynamics within First Nations communities. Granny Eddie and Winona seek to come to terms with the horrendous legacy of colonial dispossession in their own ways, with Granny Eddie prompting, "we can't be sunk in bitterness'. Winona provides a more firebrand, activist response. Lucashenko refuses to neatly resolve these tensions and differences, maintaining and acknolwedging them as at the very heart of contemporary First Nations People's communities

Lucashenko masterfully immerses readers in First Nations cultures, languages, and spiritual understandings, weaving a tapestry of connection to country and ancestral belonging. As the narrative unfolds, she skillfully confronts past injustices while generously embracing the possibility of reconciliation and renewal. The concluding passage's imagery, which achieves this 'coming together' of the book's narratives and themes, is quite stunning and beautiful.

Reading "Edenglassie" on ANZAC Day (25th April), a day of remembrance for those who served in wars and conflicts, resonated deeply with me, especially given my home is in Redcliffe, Brisbane— a region steeped in the history and ancestral lands of the Gubbi Gubbi and Ningi Ningi First Nations peoples. Lucashenko's words in the author's note, resonate profoundly with the narrative's themes of remembrance and resilience. This intersection of personal geography and historical reflection contributed to my moving experience with the book just yesterday:

"I wish to pay respect to the thousands of brave First Nations people who survived through the Frontier wars in our various Countries, and who in various ways resisted the century of attempted ethnocide that followed.
To those who have stubbornly kept Goorie culture alive for our shared benefit today: baugull wonyi - deep thanks.
Lest We Forget."

In the wake of the 2023 failed Indigenous Voice referendum here in Australia, "Edenglassie" serves as a compelling call to reckon with the legacies of colonial violence and dispossession. Lucashenko's narrative, far from didactic, offers a pathway to reconciliation steeped in generosity and hope.

In conclusion, "Edenglassie" urges readers to listen, learn, and embrace the possibilities of a more just and inclusive future. Highly recommended.

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful yarn, loved it.

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, Edenglassie is one of the most important books to have been written about Indigenous history. Whilst not a non-fiction title, Lucashenko bases her narrative on research and conversations with elders and custodians to ensure that the story is an accurate reflection of Queensland in the 1850s. And what a story.

Set across two timelines - one 1850s the other 2024 - Edenglassie is at heart a love story; love for each other, love for country, love for the past and aspiring love for the future that could have been. Mulanyin and Nita must find where they belong amongst their passion for each other, Winona and Doctor Johnny navigate bicenntenial Queensland celebrations while fighting for their ancestors. There is humour - largely driven by Granny Eddie - and heartbreak. There is joy and sorrow. But at its heart, Edenglassie is a story of place and injustice. It is a love song to home and what that really means.

5 million stars.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The historical timeline in this novel is 1850s colonial Brisbane. I was nervous for Mulanyin from the start but I was still shocked by what happened. The modern timeline follows characters five generations later, it’s a smaller part of the novel but Granny Eddie is such a wonderful character I loved her part in the story. An emotional and powerful read.

[Margaret Galbraith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never do too well reading a book with two timelines but this was ok. It’s a tough read about the colonisation 1854-55 and how the indigenous people were treated and it’s shameful. The other timeline is present 2024 and I feel we haven’t really come along far in their treatment.

I heard Melissa the author speak at Adelaide Writer’s week this month and she said she’d heard Edenglassie was derived from a combination of Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. My aunt lived in a suburb of Brisbane since the 60s and she told me it was full of Scottish migrants. I visited her a few times and did see this when we went to the local club for lunch. A decent read but I did find myself ‘wandering’ a bit as I lost interest but that’s not to say it isn’t an important or a good story based on truth.

[Nadine in California · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction with multiple timelines, but in this case one timeline was stronger than the other. The historical chapters were set in 1855, a period when aboriginal people were still a majority in Meanjin, today's Brisbane, an inspired moment to immerse the reader in Goorie culture. As we experience the richness of the Goorie way of life, we simultaneously witness attempts to erode and destroy it by a boorish, ignorant settler community. I love that Lucashenko drops us into Goorie society without any orientation. Since I knew essentially nothing about it, I had to find my own footing with Goorie language and family structure, but my fascination with the characters drew me in and I let them teach me. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more interiority to most of the characters - I felt like I was watching them from the outside. The only exception to that for me was Nita.

The current day chapters were much less successful for me, mainly because Winona and Dr. Johnny and their flirtation felt like an annoying YA romance that trivialized the important point Winona was making: that young white Australians are eroding aboriginal culture by appropriating their symbols and ideas and turning them into pop culture fluff. Only Granny Eddie and her ghostly entourage made these sections readable for me, and her attitude toward appropriation made an interesting generational contrast to Winona's. I also found myself annoyed by Winona who seemed not so much a firebrand activist as an annoying egotist who spoke mostly in slang. And Dr. Johnny was an airhead who mooned after her. It was hard to believe he was a medical doctor. For me, their message needed more solid messengers.

[Melinda Nankivell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This book, highlighting Australia’s violent history of invasion and frontier violence was told in two time periods - the modern day (2024) and the 1850s - set in and around Brisbane.

While I found the parts set in the 1850s absolutely captivating and moving, I felt the modern parts were unnecessary to the essence of the story. Yes, the last two chapters tied the time periods together, but I felt the heart of the story was strong enough without needing this device which I found to be distracting instead of a worthy addition.

Very much worth a read and a potential prize winner.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dual timeline story set in the region around Brisbane. One is set during the colonial era in mid-1850s and the other in contemporary times. The historical timeline follows the relationship between Mulanyin and Nita, a young couple trying to cope with life after colonization. Their story covers many injustices and violence done to the Aboriginal people. The contemporary story focuses on Granny Eddie, a centenarian who is hospitalized after a fall. One of the doctors develops a (conflict-ridden) relationship with her granddaughter.

I found this book impressive. It starts as a collection of episodes but gradually becomes more fluid. It is a story about culture, identity, storytelling, and the impact of colonialism. I appreciated the author’s note that explains her extensive research and clarifies what she fictionalized. The work is infused with the words, phrases, and spirits of the Aboriginal people. I came away with better appreciation of Australian history. It is a sad and moving story.

I received an advance reader's copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting, moving, sad novel about the massacre of Australian aborigines in the 1850s in the Brisbane area and about an old aboriginal grandmother whose is currently, in the 2020s, in hospital, aged 97.

I struggled during the first half of the novel. I felt that the book started off as a collection of stories and ideas told from an aboriginal perspective. Whilst interesting, it felt a little clunky. However the second half of the novel was much stronger from an overall storytelling perspective.

This book was first published in 2023.

[Vivienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Too Much Lip; while focussing awareness on indigenous issues, it was never forced or preachy and absolutely drew me in. I can't say the same of Edenglassie.
Set in two time frames, the 1850s and today, the structure of this book is very clever: the two stories come together perfectly in the end and, from reading the author's acknowledgements and notes, it is clear that, while the book is a work of fiction, she has cleverly woven and manipulated fact and knowledge to make the story authentic from every perspective.
While I prefer stories that are grounded in the real world, the use of spirit people and stories in this work is cleverly done and, I presume, appropriate and authentic from an indigenous viewpoint.
I much preferred that part of the book that was set in the 1850s around Mulanyin and Nita, than the part set today. I found very little to like in Winona: she almost feels like a caricature, coarse, bitter, angry (even given that she may well have reason to be those things!) The excess does not add to the sincerity from my viewpoint.
While I can see how clever this book is, and how it certainly raises awareness and, more importantly, understanding of Aboriginal issues and thinking, I did not particularly enjoy the reading of it ***

[Gabrielle Geddes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like, I get it, but I don't like it.

[Carl (Hiatus. IBB in Jan)]

Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko offers a profound exploration of the colonial impact on the Goorie peoples of Australia (the correct term for Australia’s Indigenous peoples). The novel unfolds across two distinct timelines: one set in 2024, following Gran Eddie, a centenarian Goorie with a sharp demeanour. She has outlived her entire family, burying everyone except her granddaughter, Wynona; the second timeline, set in 1854, centres on Mulanyin. These interwoven narratives underscore the stark contrasts between colonial and post-colonial Australia. The characterisation is exceptional, and the rich cultural details deeply enrich the narrative. This novel is a strong statement of Goorie heritage. For the international reader, many local words and endemic animal names and their meanings can prove challenging. However, with careful inference, one can understand that “Mullet Run” marks a year. Nature plays a big part in Edenglassie, and the respect the Goories have for nature is heartwarming and necessary. Themes of racism, colonialism and gentrification emerge immediately. Unfortunately, my e-arc edition was full of formatting errors. Words were truncated, “fire” became “re”, “off” turned into “o” and “fish” appeared as “sh” (perhaps an unintentional symbolic silencing of the Goories voices). These distracting errors led me to abandon the book around twenty per cent in. I look forward to reading a properly formatted copy and will update this review once the book is published.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher Oneworld Publications via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Anneka Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this was a culture shock in a good way. Lucashenko manages to convey a detailed account of Indigenous life during early coloniser invasion while still creating an engaging narrative. Not always an easy read but a valuable one. I did think the historical sections were much stronger than the contemporary bits which didn’t always feel very realistic.

“Explain to me what goes on in the brain of an Englishman? When he arrives in another man’s country to steal his land, and water, and game, and then with a straight face, calls those he steals from thieves?”

[Saskia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many layers which I will be unpacking for a while I think/ hope. The rigour and depth and love and humour and rage in Lucashenko’s writing is incredible. The feelings and learnings she can put into a work of fiction (‘fiction’) that is compelling to read is really really cool. Also I love how she writes romance, and I think that’s a big part of what made this an accessible read. Pretty blown away by this book

[Rhiannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Everywhere the white men go…they mark their passage in stone and iron, for there is no softness in them. All they understand is guns and whips, shackles and steel. All their world is built on cruelty.’

I learnt so much from this book and at times it felt each new sentence triggered a new exploration and discovery of history, and made me intrigued for a world of stories out there. Some unanswered questions still however, very thought provoking!
So much of the colonial land grab and violence resonated with other books I’ve read about the highland clearances and pre-colonial atrocities here in the UK with the enclosure of the commons. And find it interesting and sad that people protesting against colonialism in the British Isles (Irish, Scottish, Welsh) were punished and transported only to become colonisers themselves- and the book posits this so well.

[nina.reads.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko is both a page turning propulsive work of historical fiction and a history lesson for those interested in understanding what life was like for Indigenous people in the decades after the British Empire took over this country and what this has meant for Indigenous people today.

Lucashenko tells a uniquely Indigenous story set five generations apart in Edenglassie which was originally the name of the area that is now Brisbane. In the past there is the story of Mulanyin and Nita, a young couple trying to navigate life where their people still outnumber the British but where they have limited opportunities. In the current day Granny Eddie has a fall and ends up in hospital where Dr Johnny meets her granddaughter Winona and sparks fly. Towards the end the two timelines collide and the family face a reckoning from the past.

Goodness I loved reading this book. I read it in two sittings while travelling and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. As a historical account Lucashenko manages to convey so much information about what it was like to be an Indigenous person in the 1800’s without it becoming dry and boring which I find can sometimes be the case in historical fiction. The current timeline was also rich with information yet so compelling. The only thing that slightly put me off was a plot line involving a ghost near the end that didn’t quite work for me. I understand it was necessary for the story though and was very satisfied with the ending.

This book is incredible and really should be on your must read list for this year. I defy anyone to read it and not feel deep shame about what happened in this country more than 200 years ago. If only those that most need to understand would willingly pick up a book like this. I hope that attitudes are changing and that one day this country can truly reckon with its past.

[Jasmin Goldberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐I found this one difficult to get through, of course because of the horrible colonial violence that is explored through both timelines, but also regrettably through the writing style. Each main character's unique personality was craftily shaped through their language, relation to, and description of country, however the sheer volume of additional characters as well as the frequent story jumps within timelines made this difficult to follow and digest (even ignoring the difficult themes). While the story lines wove together it felt a little late in the piece to justify the lack of attention given to each story line as a result of this duality and I think I would have preferred either a more dedicated attempt at historical fiction, or an in depth analysis of the ongoing affects of colonial history and indigenous peoples different approaches to reconciling that, as opposed to a half baked attempt at both.

[Book My Imagination · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read had me feeling a lot of emotion.

Set in Edenglassie, early "settlement" in Brisbane.
2 stories told, generations apart, collide with a frank, sometimes brutal, yet extremely thought-provoking tale.

The reader is immersed in the stories of Grannie Eddie, Winona, Mulanyin, and Nita.
I found the connection to land that the First Nations people have is beautiful and this book helps the reader to understand and feel what the First Nations people have lived through and how their connection is still so valid and beautiful.

My heart wept, and I found myself angered at the treatment they endured.
This book is extremely relevant and timely, and it is a book that I have put into my favourite pile for the year.

Thank you to @betterreadingau for the opportunity to read this book.

[Ella Khulusi · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were so many words I didn't understand that sometimes I didn't really know what was going on lol, but by the end I just let myself be swept along in it and it was quite enjoyable. It was clearly an incredibly well researched book, especially the Yagara and Yugambeh languages and cultural references, and I appreciate that the author didn't feel the need to culturally translate every tiny aspect to cater for uneducated readers like myself.

It took me a while to get into the flow of the book, especially the split between the 1854 and 2024 sections but the way they came together at the end was so beautiful. It captured not only the physical atrocities but also the cultural struggles of First Peoples from colonisation to modern day, including modern identity politics and the varying paths of resistance to ethnogenocide. I think the fact it was so dialogue-heavy and had so many different characters helped it tell lots of different stories all at once, although it's not a style I loved in and of itself. I do also think it could have benefited from quite heavy editing icl.

What I did love is the way it reframes nature, bringing it into dialogue with people's collective past and future and a wider spirituality without exoticising First People cultures. No spoilers but the fact the author pulled off the ending she did without it feeling silly is incroyable. It made me think of this poem by a Palestinian poet about nature and anger that was sat somewhere deep in my brain so I went and found it on the internet and I will now store it in this review for safekeeping:

In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political
I must listen to the birds
and in order to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent.
– Marwan Makhoul

It doesn't hit exactly the same message as the book but I think there's so much to be reflected on re our severance from nature. So 3.5 rounded up to 4 🌿🐟🌅💫

[Hibak Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 million stars!!! this book is extraordinary work of fiction but also non-fiction at the same time. this is a book that i wish to see future Australian students study for VCE and be implemented in the curriculum. it is so important! i learnt so much First Nations history. as a Melbournian I would like to read a book set in the Wurundjeri land and to learn more about the Koori people. However, this book had me researching Dundalli, Frontier Wars, Petries and the Native Police. I read this book for a small book club I am a part of and I am so excited to hear what others have to say!

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read connecting Indigenous history with present day Brisbane. All of us Aussies (I hope) are aware of our brutal history yet, reading from an Indigenous persons perspective makes that empathy and understanding even more prominent. Bit of a tear jerker!!! #alwayswasalwayswillbe

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thought provoking read and it has left me wanting to learn more about aboriginal history.

[Mentai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vividly brings Australia's past to life, so well imagined. Great characters in the contemporary setting too.

[Nailya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literature is available on the UK market, so any time an Aboriginal/First Nations book is published, it is worth checking out. Despite Melissa Lucashenko's decades-long career, she came to international prominence with the multi-generational Too Much Lip, first published in 2018, and her most recent novel, the historical Edenglassie, was much-anticipated. In Edenglassie, Lucashenko, an author of Bundjalung and Ukrainian descent, offers a meditation on history, memory, First Nations' identity and cultural resilience.

The narrative is set across two time periods - 1855 and modern day. They are quite different in tone, as the longer historical storyline is written much more sombrely, whereas the modern-day plot is livelier and easier to get into. The historical narration mixes real, fictional, and heavily fictionalised versions of real First Nations individuals, whereas the modern storyline focuses on their entirely fictional descendants. In the modern story, we follow Grandma Eddie, an elderly First Nations woman who suffers a fall in the novel's opening, prompting a prolonged stay in a local hospital.

The crux of the narrative is the relationship between Eddie's fiery granddaughter Winona and the local doctor, Johnny, a man of First Nations descent who only recently discovered his heritage. These three are used by Lucashenko as mouthpieces for discussions of what makes a First Nations person authentically Indigenous, with Winona spending most of the novel denying Johnny's claims to Indigeneity, and Eddie promoting a more peaceful and inclusive idea of belonging. These dialogues, informative as they are, felt a bit clunky and exposition-heavy, but they also made the characterisation of the three protagonists very clear and easy to follow.

The same cannot really be said about the historical storyline, at least not initially, as it is not immediately apparent who the protagonists of the ensemble cast are. Eventually, we settle into following Mulanyin, a Yugambeh man, during traditional travelling to find a wife from a different location. Instead of marrying his intended, he falls for Nita, a baptised First Nations woman in the service of the Petrie family, often hailed as the 'Fathers of Brisbane'. Despite spending more than 70% of the narrative in the past storyline, Mulanyin and Nita never quite come alive in the same way Eddie or Johnny do, often remaining archetypes of their specific circumstances, rather than portrayals of complex human beings.

The much more serious in tone historical storyline gives the reader a bit more freedom to interpret the narrative, as we are introduced to the complexities and nuances of the relationships between First Nations people and the colonisers. First of all, the narrative unapologetically shows that there is no such thing as a 'good imperialist' or a 'good enslaver', as even the most respectful and willing to learn White characters are still clearly the invaders taking advantage of Indigenous people in a myriad of ways. Additionally, some of the most nuanced scenes don't shy away from the poverty and misery of some of the White convicts. In a memorable scene, Mulanyin gives some of his fish to a homeless White woman who immediately eats it raw. It is in moments like this Lucashenko's talent for presenting a three-dimensional picture really shines.

This novel is at its best when Lucashenko trusts the reader to come to their own conclusions and inspires them to think for themselves. I found the ideas about global Blackness, from First Nations characters thinking about enslaved people in North America in the 19th century storyline to discussions of specifically Blak identity in modern Australia, interesting and stimulating.

Overall, this novel can come across as a bit clunky at times, but it is still worth reading.

[Ally Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko presents two interwoven Indigenous narratives set five generations apart. In the 1850’s Nita resides in Edenglassie, the name given to the early days of the Moreton Bay settlement and where the saltwater people live. Mulanyin, of Yugambeh Country and a man who has suffered grief, experienced loss and has a strong sense of family, loyalty, fierceness, ambition, love, determination and self-respect, meets and falls in love with Nita. Mulanyin, dreams of taking his new bride home but when colonial unrest peaks, his plans for independence collide with white justice.
In the contemporary narrative we meet Granny Eddie, a 100-year-old Indigenous woman who has lived the history and ghosts of her past. When Granny Eddie falls and ends up in hospital she is looked after by her granddaughter Winona, who is a modern-day Indigenous woman, coarse, bitter and angry about her ancestor’s past, and Dr. Johnny, who has Indigenous DNA discovered through ancestory.com and finds that he has a strong attraction to Winona.
As the unresolved echoes of history surface, Granny Eddie uses her wisdom and guidance to direct Winona and Dr Johnny though it.

I didn’t love this book, I felt like the story took a long time to get to its destination and then it was over very quickly. The novel’s historical sections, especially Mulanyin’s perspective, was interesting and showed the struggles and resilience of Australia’s First Nations people during the colonial period in Brisbane. However, at times the writing was poor, and novel felt like a work of non-fiction. I also felt that the contemporary storyline fell short, and that Winona and Dr. Johnny’s dynamic felt forced and exaggerated. Winona was a very coarse, bitter, angry and entitled Indigenous woman and I heard the authors voice loud and clear through this character. I was very offended with racial phrases such as
'If ya got no lived experience or living mob, then ya just another bloody white Aussie holding a vanilla milkshake, mate” and the thinking from Winona that Johnny was not blak enough for her to date.

This book was a tough read and while I enjoyed the historical educational element of the book, I thoroughly disliked the modern-day component and found that I would constantly lose interest and my mind would wander. This novel was openly pro-aboriginal, and it seems that equality is not a topic that the author wished to portray. For these reasons I won’t be recommending it to others.