Walk Back Over

by Jeanine Leane

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Jeanine Leane is a Wiradjuri woman from south-west New South Wales. A Doctorate in literature and Aboriginal representation from the University of Technology, Sydney, followed a long teaching career at secondary and tertiary level. Formerly an Indigenous Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, she currently holds a post-doctoral fellowship at ANU. Jeanine's unpublished manuscript Purple Threads won the David Unaipon Award at the 2010 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, and, once published, was shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize. Jeanine is the recipient of an Australian Research Council grant which will produce a scholarly monograph called Reading the Nation: A critical study of Aboriginal/Settler representation in the contemporary Australian literary landscape.

Reviews

[Harry Brake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking inside another country is one thing, but despite the attempts of other countries to know native countries, better than the native country- usually does not happen. Get that? Seeing Jeanine Leane at last year's Australian author panel, at the Library of Congress Book Festival was one of the highlights of the festival. Hearing voices and stories is one thing, but feeling them is another, and having taken time to go back and reread these poems, cracks open the shell of a dominant country and reveals the heart of Aboriginal Australia.

Definitely worth the read, quality in its ability to capture the heartache, ability to rise above stereotypes, and also rise above imperialistic rule, this is a magic collection. Rushing through it initially, you will miss the details that truly capture the voice of Australia, as often do when handling the views of many countries.

[Emory Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the poems in this. They seemed a little less lyrical in some sections and there was one chapter that was mostly confusing to me, perhaps because I didn't know enough about the historical context of it. The ones that I most enjoyed were "Lady Mungo Speaks", "Unassimilated", "Tracks Wind Back" and "River Memory".

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5*

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The song being woven with words in this collection is raw and aching and brilliant. One of my favourite poems, Cardboard Incaerceration pins down the colonial archive, reframes and recaptures all that has been cast beyond it. 'Walking back over' to reclaim and make clear. The collection for me is balm and resource, reflection and source of strength.

[Griflet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needful powerful heartbreaking.