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Sister Heart
A young Aboriginal girl is taken from the north of Australia and sent to an institution in the distant south. There, she slowly makes a new life for herself and, in the face of tragedy, finds strength in new friendships.
Poignantly told from the child’s perspective, Sister Heart affirms the power of family and kinship.
Poignantly told from the child’s perspective, Sister Heart affirms the power of family and kinship.
251 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2015
39 people are currently reading
1206 people want to read
About the author
Sally Morgan
412 books137 followersSally Morgan is recognised as one of Australia's best known Aboriginal artists and writers. She is one of a number of successful urban Aboriginal artists.
Sally was born in Perth in 1951, the eldest of five children. As a child she found school difficult because of questions from other students about her appearance and family background. She understood from her mother that she and her family were from India. However, when Sally was fifteen she learnt that she and her sister were in fact of Aboriginal descent, from the Palku people of the Pilbara.
This experience of her hidden origins, and subsequent quest for identity, was the stimulus for her first book My Place published in 1987. It tells the story of her self discovery through reconnection with her Aboriginal culture and community. The book was an immediate success and has since sold over half a million copies in Australia. It has also been published in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Her second book Wanamurraganya was published in 1989. It is the biography of her grandfather, Jack McPhee. She has also written five books for children.
As well as writing, Sally Morgan has established an international reputation as an artist. She has works in numerous private and public collections in Australia and the United States, including the Australian National Gallery and the Dobell Foundation collection. Her work is particularly popular in the United States. Her work as an artist is excellently described and illustrated in the book Art of Sally Morgan.
She has received many awards, including from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission. As a part of the celebration in 1993 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, her print Outback was selected by international art historians as one of 30 paintings and sculptures for reproduction on a stamp representing an article of the Declaration.
My Place remains her most influential work, not only because of its very wide popularity but also because it provided a new model for other writers, particularly those of indigenous background.
She is currently Director of the Centre for Indigenous History and Arts at The University of Western Australia.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sally was born in Perth in 1951, the eldest of five children. As a child she found school difficult because of questions from other students about her appearance and family background. She understood from her mother that she and her family were from India. However, when Sally was fifteen she learnt that she and her sister were in fact of Aboriginal descent, from the Palku people of the Pilbara.
This experience of her hidden origins, and subsequent quest for identity, was the stimulus for her first book My Place published in 1987. It tells the story of her self discovery through reconnection with her Aboriginal culture and community. The book was an immediate success and has since sold over half a million copies in Australia. It has also been published in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Her second book Wanamurraganya was published in 1989. It is the biography of her grandfather, Jack McPhee. She has also written five books for children.
As well as writing, Sally Morgan has established an international reputation as an artist. She has works in numerous private and public collections in Australia and the United States, including the Australian National Gallery and the Dobell Foundation collection. Her work is particularly popular in the United States. Her work as an artist is excellently described and illustrated in the book Art of Sally Morgan.
She has received many awards, including from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission. As a part of the celebration in 1993 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, her print Outback was selected by international art historians as one of 30 paintings and sculptures for reproduction on a stamp representing an article of the Declaration.
My Place remains her most influential work, not only because of its very wide popularity but also because it provided a new model for other writers, particularly those of indigenous background.
She is currently Director of the Centre for Indigenous History and Arts at The University of Western Australia.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
September 12, 2016
I'm so angry and upset after reading this. I just don't understand how people could be so horrible. Who thinks that stealing children away from their families and crushing their culture is a good thing to do? As I continue to educate myself on Australia's history, I am becoming more and more upset. Why are people so horrible? We MUST continue to break the cycle. People are people and we are all the same species. Who decides that one skin colour is above all others? Why do these stigmas exist? Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people have lived here for over 60,000 years! This is THEIR country and yet years of stereotyping and racism have resulted in the issues Australia faces today. Please educate yourselves and help to end this.
February 6, 2017
OW MY FEELINGS.
In hindsight, I wish I'd taken my time with this book. Because I read it in...probably an hour? And while the story was incredibly full of emotion, I don't think I had enough time to sufficiently appreciate the writing.
This is a middle grade novel written in verse that tells the story of a young Aboriginal girl who is taken from her family and her country by the government and placed in a children's home for Indigenous children to be taught English, given a basic education, and sent out to work as a servant at the age of 14.
It's a heartbreaking story as it reflects the exact experience that generations of Indigenous children had all over Australia from the earliest days of colonisation through until the 1960s. And Indigenous children are often still removed from their homes and put into foster care "for their own good" by government authorities.
So it's a very good introduction to the Stolen Generations for middle graders. I just wish I'd taken longer to appreciate the writing.
In hindsight, I wish I'd taken my time with this book. Because I read it in...probably an hour? And while the story was incredibly full of emotion, I don't think I had enough time to sufficiently appreciate the writing.
This is a middle grade novel written in verse that tells the story of a young Aboriginal girl who is taken from her family and her country by the government and placed in a children's home for Indigenous children to be taught English, given a basic education, and sent out to work as a servant at the age of 14.
It's a heartbreaking story as it reflects the exact experience that generations of Indigenous children had all over Australia from the earliest days of colonisation through until the 1960s. And Indigenous children are often still removed from their homes and put into foster care "for their own good" by government authorities.
So it's a very good introduction to the Stolen Generations for middle graders. I just wish I'd taken longer to appreciate the writing.
July 6, 2017
Back when I was 15 (2008), the Australian Government apologised to Indigenous Australians, particularly regarding the Stolen Generation. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can watch or read a transcript: http://www.australia.gov.au/about-aus...)
They talked about it at school, what had happened and why it was important. But I didn't really get it. It wasn't RELEVANT, I thought, because this will never happen to me. Nobody I knew was affected by this.
Reading this book was heart-wrenching. I think I have begun to understand, just a little.
It's an engaging novel in verse, about an important topic. The character of 'Annie' matches the writing very well. I think it should be read more widely.
They talked about it at school, what had happened and why it was important. But I didn't really get it. It wasn't RELEVANT, I thought, because this will never happen to me. Nobody I knew was affected by this.
Reading this book was heart-wrenching. I think I have begun to understand, just a little.
It's an engaging novel in verse, about an important topic. The character of 'Annie' matches the writing very well. I think it should be read more widely.
June 3, 2017
I don't know why I never posted this review from August last year.
I'm heart drowned:
Wonderfully lyrical and deserving of all the award love - shortlisted for the CBCA Book of The Year Younger Readers 2016 and longlisted for the (YA) Inky Award 2016.
Annie is bereft. Named Annie by the white fellas who took her (we never know her language name). Losing her name, her family, her country, her culture, the very words she speaks and thinks.
In the group home down south all Annie has are her memories. Slowly she finds a sister in Janey, who teaches her the ropes and how to manage her sadness.
The horrors of Australia's recent history of removing Aboriginal children from their families and placing them in abusive care is heart wrenching. The pain of Annie and Janey and Tim reverberates through the pages and down the generations.
The book design by Tracey Gibbs is delicate but spectacular.
Sister Heart wrung my heart dry. It's such an important story and I hope it wins Book of The Year.
This review is from my blog http://ofceilingwax.wordpress.com/201...
I'm heart drowned:
"lost
lost
lost
in my saltwater tears"
Wonderfully lyrical and deserving of all the award love - shortlisted for the CBCA Book of The Year Younger Readers 2016 and longlisted for the (YA) Inky Award 2016.
Annie is bereft. Named Annie by the white fellas who took her (we never know her language name). Losing her name, her family, her country, her culture, the very words she speaks and thinks.
"There's too much english in this place
english hurts my head
english is hard on my tongue
english is missing good words
english is lonely"
In the group home down south all Annie has are her memories. Slowly she finds a sister in Janey, who teaches her the ropes and how to manage her sadness.
"But I can't talk
Sometimes
I feel my voice
rattling inside me
like a trapped thing
trying to get out"
The horrors of Australia's recent history of removing Aboriginal children from their families and placing them in abusive care is heart wrenching. The pain of Annie and Janey and Tim reverberates through the pages and down the generations.
The book design by Tracey Gibbs is delicate but spectacular.
Sister Heart wrung my heart dry. It's such an important story and I hope it wins Book of The Year.
This review is from my blog http://ofceilingwax.wordpress.com/201...
September 22, 2018
A beautiful but heartbreaking story of the stolen generation told from the child's point of view... written in verse.
This format is new to me I now aim to look for more books written in verse. A style that is easy, lovely and enjoyable to read.
This format is new to me I now aim to look for more books written in verse. A style that is easy, lovely and enjoyable to read.
August 8, 2016
I would give this book a 3.5 if I could.
It rendered me quite emotional as I was reading it and I appreciated the enjambment technique that was used because it added a multilayered meaning that added to the emotional effect on the audience.
I was deeply touched by this book. The character of Janey will forever be remembered and cherished. I strive to be more positive, loyal and kind like her.
Actually - split second decision - because of Janey I'm rating this a 4/5. I loved her character and I think she is so inspiring, joyful and fun-loving. It was because of her that I was almost brought to tears.
It rendered me quite emotional as I was reading it and I appreciated the enjambment technique that was used because it added a multilayered meaning that added to the emotional effect on the audience.
I was deeply touched by this book. The character of Janey will forever be remembered and cherished. I strive to be more positive, loyal and kind like her.
Actually - split second decision - because of Janey I'm rating this a 4/5. I loved her character and I think she is so inspiring, joyful and fun-loving. It was because of her that I was almost brought to tears.
June 20, 2020
I’m not usually a huge fan of verse novels, but Sister Heart is one of the best, loveliest, saddest and most affecting books I have read in a long time. Through the eyes of a young Aboriginal girl stolen away from her family and taken to an institution far from home, this is a story that will break your heart, as well as have you believe in the power of friendship, and the strength we may find in the face of true tragedy. This Stolen Generation verse is arresting and full of breathtakingly beautiful lines that I just cannot shake. Sister Heart should be required reading in schools. Highly recommended, I’m giving this flawless new verse novel five stars.
Read more on my blog: Middle Chapter
Read more on my blog: Middle Chapter
May 9, 2016
Such an important novel that should be taught in more Australian history classes. Sister Heart is truly a beautiful, if quite sad, story that covers the Stolen Generation.
It's really quite sad to hear how unforgiving the government was, in the way they wanted to assimilate Aboriginals into Western culture, till they were completely bred out. It's frustrating to say that something so horrible happened in our past, but it's still incredibly important and relevant for young minds to know and understand about their country's history.
Hopefully the Inky Awards list will raise more awareness for this book, and will eventually be brought into many schools' English or Literature reading lists.
It's really quite sad to hear how unforgiving the government was, in the way they wanted to assimilate Aboriginals into Western culture, till they were completely bred out. It's frustrating to say that something so horrible happened in our past, but it's still incredibly important and relevant for young minds to know and understand about their country's history.
Hopefully the Inky Awards list will raise more awareness for this book, and will eventually be brought into many schools' English or Literature reading lists.
Read
December 25, 2017This book is about the Stolen Generation, told from the child's perspective. It's told in verse and while I don't read a lot of that format, it works really well. Sister Heart is not an easy read, but it's an important one. Recommend to everyone.
February 3, 2019
Read Harder Task 7
All the feels! :(
All the feels! :(
September 6, 2018
There wasn't a synopsis or description on the book cover so I went into it not knowing what it was going to be about. I'd picked it up at the library because the cover was pretty, it seemed interesting, and was quick and easy read due to the verse-by-verse (like poetry) format that it's told in.
AND WOW. ALL DEM FEELS 💔💔💔
Told from the POV of a young girl (whose age is never revealed), Sister Heart is about the displacement of aboriginals, racism, and how a child's life and only world she's ever known is completely uprooted. It's also about pain, loss and hope.
Not only did the book shed light on an important issue (that most people, including me, are still ignorant about) without being boring or preachy, it was illuminating and heartbreaking at the same time. A fantastic read for all ages.
AND WOW. ALL DEM FEELS 💔💔💔
Told from the POV of a young girl (whose age is never revealed), Sister Heart is about the displacement of aboriginals, racism, and how a child's life and only world she's ever known is completely uprooted. It's also about pain, loss and hope.
Not only did the book shed light on an important issue (that most people, including me, are still ignorant about) without being boring or preachy, it was illuminating and heartbreaking at the same time. A fantastic read for all ages.
May 9, 2017
Love this book such a gorgeous book to read.
June 23, 2022
Written in verse, this small book is about and aboriginal girl from Australian north who is snatched from her family, literally kidnapped by the police in front of her mother, as she is a mixed colour girl and as per the government policy, they can be taken away by the government and reared up elsewhere. They are brought up as good christians away from the savage influence of their backward families. Ofcourse, it is nothing wrong in the government's eye to separate kids as small as suckling babies, stolen from hospitals from their mother's laps. It is all being done for their own good.
The girl, who is given the name Annie, is taken on a ship and from there to an institute where other kids like her are housed. Of course, the kids are malnourished, maltreated, and keep getting sick. However, the power of friendship is what sustains these kids in such adverse situations. The characters, especially Jenny, a girl Annie meets, will melt your heart with their hope, their strange mixture of innocence and world weariness, and their strong independent spirits. The prose is poignant and the story heartbreaking. But needs to be read to know what atrocities humans are able of inflicting on others in the name of greater good.
January 29, 2021
To start off this review this book is a really short book having only 256 pages. I loved the story line in this book and it showed how people were treated back then in the stolen generation and how hard it was to lose your family. The reason I love love this book so much is because it tells us a message to never give up even when it’s hard.
May 28, 2021
Sister Heart by Sally Morgan
I think it was an inspired choice to use a verse novel as the vehicle for this insight into the lived experience of the stolen generations.
Delivered in the first person, we feel every heart-breaking moment as ‘Annie’ is stolen from her mother on a remote outback station, and transported into a world where she is to be assimilated and subjugated.
“I am taken to a government place
given
to a government man
sitting
in a government chair.
Hard eyes staring…”
The reader is ever-present in the moment. Without Morgan needing to provide lots of detail or background information, we are plunged straight into the feelings, grief and rage of a little indigenous girl taken from her family and sent thousands of miles away, to live a life of despair.
I hope many, many Australians, young and old, read this book, as there is still such a lack of understanding about the profound abuse and trauma that the stolen generations experienced, and that are still rippling through our society today. Another book which also gives this depth and insight is Monty Boori Pryor’s “Maybe Tomorrow” and “Njunjul the Sun”.
I think it was an inspired choice to use a verse novel as the vehicle for this insight into the lived experience of the stolen generations.
Delivered in the first person, we feel every heart-breaking moment as ‘Annie’ is stolen from her mother on a remote outback station, and transported into a world where she is to be assimilated and subjugated.
“I am taken to a government place
given
to a government man
sitting
in a government chair.
Hard eyes staring…”
The reader is ever-present in the moment. Without Morgan needing to provide lots of detail or background information, we are plunged straight into the feelings, grief and rage of a little indigenous girl taken from her family and sent thousands of miles away, to live a life of despair.
I hope many, many Australians, young and old, read this book, as there is still such a lack of understanding about the profound abuse and trauma that the stolen generations experienced, and that are still rippling through our society today. Another book which also gives this depth and insight is Monty Boori Pryor’s “Maybe Tomorrow” and “Njunjul the Sun”.
April 10, 2017
Sister Heart is a tale of the Stolen Generation. It is the story of a young Aboriginal girl who was taken away from her family and put in an institution many miles away from her home. This story is such a heartbreaking, but important, read. It looks at the impact of a part of the history of white Australia’s horrendous treatment of Indigenous Australians, and one that happened not that long ago.
The writing in Sister Heart is beautiful. The story is told in verse which fitted quite well. The descriptions were vivid and evoked images, sounds and smells in my mind so that it felt like I was witnessing the story instead of just reading it.
I also really loved the characters. Annie was such a strong, spirited character who kept hanging on to what she believed in and who she was despite people’s best efforts to erase it. Janey was a fun-loving and loyal character and Tim was such a sweet, innocent boy.
My heart broke while reading this book, particularly at the end. I think that it is one that will stick with me for a long time.
The writing in Sister Heart is beautiful. The story is told in verse which fitted quite well. The descriptions were vivid and evoked images, sounds and smells in my mind so that it felt like I was witnessing the story instead of just reading it.
I also really loved the characters. Annie was such a strong, spirited character who kept hanging on to what she believed in and who she was despite people’s best efforts to erase it. Janey was a fun-loving and loyal character and Tim was such a sweet, innocent boy.
My heart broke while reading this book, particularly at the end. I think that it is one that will stick with me for a long time.
August 23, 2015
Sally Morgan needs no introduction to Australian audiences since her acclaimed autobiography My Place was released in 1987. Since then she has been an outspoken advocate for recognition of the Stolen Generations and for Indigenous art and culture through her many books for children and adults. There is just so much to love about this book. Sister Heart tells the story, in verse format, of a child who is brutally wrenched from her family and sent to live in a government home. The anguish and homesickness that this little girl Annie faces will tear at your heart strings and the treatment she faces at the hands of the adults in charge will anger and appall you. Yet this book does not preach but lets the readers make up their own minds about justice and equality. This book will provide some wonderful opportunities to open up the dialogue about Stolen Generations, Indigenous rights and racism in this country.
Teaching notes: http://bit.ly/1DQBP91
Suitable for 10+
Teaching notes: http://bit.ly/1DQBP91
Suitable for 10+
April 24, 2019
Australian history is amazingly devastating, and the stolen generation is perhaps the darkest, most unforgivable thing we have ever done (and don't get me wrong - we have done ALOT of bad stuff).
Stories like this are important to make sure that these atrocities are not forgotten, and more importantly, not repeated. I can definitely recommend this to anyone, please don't let the 3 stars fool you, it was a great read.
Stories like this are important to make sure that these atrocities are not forgotten, and more importantly, not repeated. I can definitely recommend this to anyone, please don't let the 3 stars fool you, it was a great read.
September 6, 2015
Very simple story delivered in a powerful manner. The story is written from the perspective of an Aboriginal child of the stolen generation. Despite it's simplicity, the character development is strong, and it gives a personal insight into the terrible things that occurred during that time. This should be essential reading for young people in Australia today.
March 6, 2017
This book was a five star if not for the story line. Everything else was so beautifully written and you could almost hear the voices of the characters. It also gave me a new perspective on "The Stolen Generation" than from what I was studying. Even though I didn't find the story line amazing, I recommend it to everyone as you learn a lot from it, and makes you think.
December 30, 2022
A powerful, heart wrenching verse novel about a young First Nations girl removed from her family and taken to an institution to be raised. Sally Morgan’s prose is poignant and emotive, enabling her to bring life to a story that needs to be heard. This deserves every award that it has been honoured with and many more.
December 10, 2018
"Rough hands
hurry me
down a sandy track
empty of Mum
empty of anything
except a swam of flies
buzzing a dead bird" (17).
Sally Morgan's 'Sister Heart' is unlike anything I've read before in its style. It's a raw first-person poetic account of a young girl, given the name Annie, who is taken from her family. The intergenerational trauma caused by the Australian Government in its creation of the Stolen Generation carries unprecedented pain and is something I have learned more about little by little of late. It's something that should be taught, from the voices of victims and marginlised communities rather than that of the Government.
So reading that this story, this author donates a portion of their royalties to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation is heartwarming and from that second I knew that this would move me.
There's not much more that I can say about 'Sister Heart' only that I finished it in one sitting, captivated by the innocence and mourning the pain that is endured by Annie. It will break your heart and remind you that in some cases, apologies are not always enough. If we're going to break the systematic and continued oppression of Aboriginal Australians, First Nations people, victims of the Stolen Generation - we need to start by listening to these voices first.
hurry me
down a sandy track
empty of Mum
empty of anything
except a swam of flies
buzzing a dead bird" (17).
Sally Morgan's 'Sister Heart' is unlike anything I've read before in its style. It's a raw first-person poetic account of a young girl, given the name Annie, who is taken from her family. The intergenerational trauma caused by the Australian Government in its creation of the Stolen Generation carries unprecedented pain and is something I have learned more about little by little of late. It's something that should be taught, from the voices of victims and marginlised communities rather than that of the Government.
So reading that this story, this author donates a portion of their royalties to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation is heartwarming and from that second I knew that this would move me.
There's not much more that I can say about 'Sister Heart' only that I finished it in one sitting, captivated by the innocence and mourning the pain that is endured by Annie. It will break your heart and remind you that in some cases, apologies are not always enough. If we're going to break the systematic and continued oppression of Aboriginal Australians, First Nations people, victims of the Stolen Generation - we need to start by listening to these voices first.
May 26, 2017
This book was in my mail box when I got home from work this afternoon, and I had read it by 8.30pm, fitting in a hospital visit and some traffic chaos due to to a mass black-out along the way. It's that powerful a read, and just as important.
It's been kind of a day here in Australia. Some of our indigenous people are meeting right now to discuss their view on a constitutional reform that may or may not acknowledge their pre-existence, and the vital role their culture and history has played, and can play, in our identity and sense of self. And many of them argue, with some justification - 'Stuff that, we want a treaty.' Why not both, I ask.
And all this on the 50th anniversary of a successful referendum to extend citizenship rights to our indigenous population. It is very hard to feel pride in this. I have friends who can trace their connection to this land back millennia, and yet I have had citizenship of this land for longer than them... There is no celebration in this for white Australians, merely shame and sombre reflection.
So, when scrolling through Facebook tonight, I came across a post of a school friend who shared a photo of her father standing with other indigenous men and women on the stairs of our old Parliament house, holding posters asking that they be granted the right to vote in their own country, I cried... for the second time tonight. Because I was proud of him, and of her, and their achievements. And ashamed of us, and desperately sad for our nation and all we have done and our inability to come to terms with it.
And the first time I cried tonight? This bloody book. A quick read that will break your heart. Those kids. And what was done to them. And their strength of character and sense of culture...
The verse form makes it a simple but emotional read. The tale is short, but punchy. Some understanding of the Stolen Generation will be needed to engage with the events, but for those familiar with their Australian history - this is the heart of that shameful story.
As my husband drove us to the hospital this afternoon, I continued to read in failing light. While caught in gridlock, I read whenever we stopped in a place of light. On the radio, I listened to the news, including an extract of a speech from the Forum for Constitutional Reform by an indigenous leader... I heard these words and found some healing...
'We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.'
And on returning home finally, after visiting two extraordinary old Greek-Australian women fighting and losing a battle their own battles against cancer, then hitting yet more insane traffic nonsense, I found these words on my Facebook wall in a post from a former student, a proud Aboriginal woman, who added at the end her own 'YAY YAY YAY'. I add my own `YAY' to hers. May our indigenous kids flourish, and may they walk in two worlds. And may their culture be a gift to us...
It's been kind of a day here in Australia. Some of our indigenous people are meeting right now to discuss their view on a constitutional reform that may or may not acknowledge their pre-existence, and the vital role their culture and history has played, and can play, in our identity and sense of self. And many of them argue, with some justification - 'Stuff that, we want a treaty.' Why not both, I ask.
And all this on the 50th anniversary of a successful referendum to extend citizenship rights to our indigenous population. It is very hard to feel pride in this. I have friends who can trace their connection to this land back millennia, and yet I have had citizenship of this land for longer than them... There is no celebration in this for white Australians, merely shame and sombre reflection.
So, when scrolling through Facebook tonight, I came across a post of a school friend who shared a photo of her father standing with other indigenous men and women on the stairs of our old Parliament house, holding posters asking that they be granted the right to vote in their own country, I cried... for the second time tonight. Because I was proud of him, and of her, and their achievements. And ashamed of us, and desperately sad for our nation and all we have done and our inability to come to terms with it.
And the first time I cried tonight? This bloody book. A quick read that will break your heart. Those kids. And what was done to them. And their strength of character and sense of culture...
The verse form makes it a simple but emotional read. The tale is short, but punchy. Some understanding of the Stolen Generation will be needed to engage with the events, but for those familiar with their Australian history - this is the heart of that shameful story.
As my husband drove us to the hospital this afternoon, I continued to read in failing light. While caught in gridlock, I read whenever we stopped in a place of light. On the radio, I listened to the news, including an extract of a speech from the Forum for Constitutional Reform by an indigenous leader... I heard these words and found some healing...
'We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.'
And on returning home finally, after visiting two extraordinary old Greek-Australian women fighting and losing a battle their own battles against cancer, then hitting yet more insane traffic nonsense, I found these words on my Facebook wall in a post from a former student, a proud Aboriginal woman, who added at the end her own 'YAY YAY YAY'. I add my own `YAY' to hers. May our indigenous kids flourish, and may they walk in two worlds. And may their culture be a gift to us...
August 2, 2016
This is such an important book in the Australian children's literature landscape for so many reasons. Written in prose, it provides an opening to discuss issues surrounding identity, indigenous rights and the Stolen Generation. Morgan brings to life a character that children could identify and sympathise with. Annie's fear and uncertainty in her strange new "home", her confusion at being removed from her family and her struggle to find her place amongst the other children is beautifully expressed in the poetry of Sally Morgan.
Any issue to do with white Australia's treatment of our indigenous population leads to strong emotions and opinions. The fact children were removed from their families is indisputable. The effect of this on not only those children and their parents, but the generations that follow is still not fully understood or accepted. Books such Sister Moon can only help bridge the gap between white and indigenous Australians.
Any issue to do with white Australia's treatment of our indigenous population leads to strong emotions and opinions. The fact children were removed from their families is indisputable. The effect of this on not only those children and their parents, but the generations that follow is still not fully understood or accepted. Books such Sister Moon can only help bridge the gap between white and indigenous Australians.
May 21, 2017
a remarkable story. heartbreaking and tear-jerking. the words flow in a incredible story of loss, fear, friendship, family, love and hope.
it's is so sad that this has happened. that this story is one of many. of stolen children and cruel people. this story a small look on the life as one of these children.
i have tears drying and sticky to my face as i type this. red puffy eyes as i remember what i have just read.
heartbreaking words, full of power. a story of never letting go of hope and sorrow. inspiring is just the tip of what this book is.
i hope for this to never happen again and i also hope for one day that one day no one will feel the fear of a stolen life and have only hope to keep together.
it's is so sad that this has happened. that this story is one of many. of stolen children and cruel people. this story a small look on the life as one of these children.
i have tears drying and sticky to my face as i type this. red puffy eyes as i remember what i have just read.
heartbreaking words, full of power. a story of never letting go of hope and sorrow. inspiring is just the tip of what this book is.
i hope for this to never happen again and i also hope for one day that one day no one will feel the fear of a stolen life and have only hope to keep together.
December 4, 2017
Sister Heart is the heartbreaking story of a young Aboriginal girl taken from her family told in verse. Far from home, she begins to build her new life, finding herself and unexpected friendships along the way.
This story broke my heart, because it is a reflection of the real life stories of generations of Indigenous children. It’s a poignantly told story that is perfectly suited to middle-grade readers all the way through to adults, as it highlights not only history, but also compassion, kindness and friendship, and the inner strength that people can find in times of tragedy.
I gave Sister Heart 4 out of 5 stars. A must read book.
This story broke my heart, because it is a reflection of the real life stories of generations of Indigenous children. It’s a poignantly told story that is perfectly suited to middle-grade readers all the way through to adults, as it highlights not only history, but also compassion, kindness and friendship, and the inner strength that people can find in times of tragedy.
I gave Sister Heart 4 out of 5 stars. A must read book.
March 17, 2024
Potent and evocative tale from Indigenous author Sally Morgan about an young indigenous girl and the whole stolen generations tragedy of days past. Well told, and deliberately emotive, but this is another good reminder and story of the dark stain that lies within the heart of our past. (The stain that lies in our hearts in the present with asylum seekers being held in concentration camps will one day no doubt be addressed in another book like this)
Reread - and it still packs a deep punch.
Reread - and it still packs a deep punch.
January 12, 2021
Beautiful, yet heartbreaking. A powerful story on the Stolen Generations which is written from the perspective of a young Indigenous girl who is taken from her parents by the Government. It is a story of friendships and an important story. Definitely a book to be studied in Australian schools. My heart aches when I read of the Stolen Generation and the traumas that our First Nations people have suffered. A must read.
May 21, 2018
Bittersweet story from the POV of an Aboriginal girl stolen from her home and sent to an institution/school to be assimilated. It's a sad story, though the elements of friendship and found family are wonderful. CW for child abuse. It's not super graphic, but the teacher beats the kids bruised and bloody with a ruler and a strap on a couple of occasions.
May 29, 2018
A beautiful, brief story from an Indigenous child's perspective dealing with Stolen Generations, separation from family, dealing with harsh conditions and scary adults, friendships forged in hardship, and even a wonderful taste of Australian flora and fauna... the novel is written in verse, so the focus was lyrical and simple rather than a complex plot.
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