Selvaggi

by Katherine Johnson, Gianluca Testani (Translator)

Basato su una storia vera, Selvaggi ci fa viaggiare dall’Australia coloniale al cuore dell’Europa nel biennio 1882-83, quando tre giovani aborigeni furono fatti esibire – in lotte, danze e lancio del boomerang – davanti a un pubblico di massa nei cosiddetti “zoo umani”, spettacoli etnici molto diffusi all’epoca. Bonny, Jurano e Dorondera non furono certo i soli: si stima che, tra il 1800 e il 1958, oltre 35.000 “performer esotici” furono ammirati da un miliardo di spettatori sulle due sponde dell’Atlantico. Ma in questo romanzo, per la prima volta, l’autrice predilige il punto di vista dei presunti “selvaggi”, storicamente esclusi dai resoconti ufficiali di quanto avveniva nei giardini botanici, nei parchi pubblici e nelle esposizioni universali. Pur non potendo contare sulle testimonianze dirette dei tre giovani aborigeni prelevati dall’Isola di Fraser (la meravigliosa e incontaminata “isola dei dingo”), Katherine Johnson immagina la loro storia facendo interagire personaggi reali, tra cui numerosi scienziati interessati alle teorie della razza e dell’evoluzione umana, e altri di finzione; tra questi ultimi, Hilda, giovane tedesca che, dopo sei anni trascorsi nelle colonie australi della Corona d’Inghilterra, intraprende il viaggio insieme a suo padre (l’ingegnere Luis Müller, altro personaggio realmente esistito) e ai tre ragazzi aborigeni, di etnia batdjala, che ormai considera suoi amici. Ne risulta una vicenda al contempo appassionante e dolorosa, in cui si alternano l’euforia della scoperta, i palpiti amorosi e il senso di impotenza di fronte alle ingiustizie e all’atavica stupidità degli uomini.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Australia, Novels, 21st Century, Indigenous

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Tasmanian writer Katherine Johnson is the inaugural winner of The Australian Fiction Prize for her novel Every Wild Soul due out with HarperCollins in April 2026. She is the author of four previous novels: Pescador's Wake (Fourth Estate 2009), The Better Son (Ventura Press 2016), Matryoshka (Ventura Press 2018) and Paris Savages (Ventura Press 2019, Allison and Busby UK 2020, Jimenez Edizioni Italy 2021 - published under the title Selvaggi).

Paris Savages, is based on the true story of three Aboriginal (Badtjala) people from Fraser Island, Queensland, who were transported to Europe in 1882 as ethnographic curiosities. It was shortlisted in the ABIA Awards 2020 and was The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month (July 2020).

The Better Son tells the story of a family yearning for love but layered with secrets, and the price of a lie. Set in northern Tasmania’s cave country, The Better Son won the University of Tasmania Prize in 2013 (Tasmanian Literary Awards), the People's Choice Award (Tasmanian Literary Awards 2013), as well as a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development in 2013. The Better Son was Longlisted for the Australian Indie Book Awards and The Tasmania Book Prize (Premier’s Literary Awards).

Matryoshka is set against the beautiful backdrop of Tasmania and tells the story of secrets, refuge, and loves lost and found.

Pescador's Wake, set on the Southern Ocean and in Tasmania and Uruguay, won a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development in 2007.

Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Katherine Johnson now lives in Tasmania where she also works as a science journalist. Her non-fiction articles have been published in Good Weekend (Sydney Morning Herald), Ecos, The Conversation, Australasian Science, Island and Forty South.

Katherine Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism), an honours degree in marine science and a PhD in creative writing. She is an Adjunct Researcher at the University of Tasmania, where she has taught creative writing and works in alumni communications.

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on real events, Paris Savages is a captivating story of three members of Badtjala Tibe who lived on K'gari (Fraser Island) and who in 1882 were brought to Europe as representatives of Native Australians.
The seemingly noble motives behind the invitation turn out to be money- and curiosity-driven as the tribe members are expected to behave like savages and perform in a so-called human zoo, together with exotic animals and other people from remote regions of the world. They are perceived as uncivilised creatures, measured for 'scientific reasons', deprived of dignity and refused intelligence.
A very interesting, well-researched novel that sheds light on yet another piece of history of which we should be ashamed.
*Many thanks to Katherine Johnson. Allison & Busby and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Marchpane · Rating 3 out of 5]

the human zoo is not the exhibition of savagery but its construction
[le zoo humain n’est pas l’exhibition de la sauvagerie, mais la construction de celle-ci]
– Bancel et al., Zoos Humains

The above is the epigraph to Paris Savages, a fictional imagining of a true story involving human zoos.

One of the more perverse products of colonialism, native people from various ‘exotic’ locations were publicly exhibited to crowds of curious white people in ‘ethnological shows’. Paris Savages recounts the journey of three Badtjala people from K’gari (Fraser Island) in Queensland to the shows of Europe.

The story of Bonangera (Boni), Dorondera and Jurano, taken to Europe as living exhibits in 1882–83, may have been lost to time were it not for the full body cast of Boni, located in a museum in Lyon, France.

The piece is endlessly perplexing: a near-perfect 3D representation of a Badtjala man from 135 years ago, it is aesthetically as strikingly beautiful as any classical Renaissance statuary, but it is not art. Unlike many other museum pieces, it is not actual pilfered human remains, but it was born out of the same colonial context, and racialised 19th century notions of science. It is both disturbing and a marvel. The museum in Lyon does not have it on display, out of respect.

The cast - labelled only as ‘Australien lancant le boomerang’ - led researchers to try to find out more about this man and eventually scant details were pieced together: his name, that of his companions, their origins on K’gari and participation in the ethnographic shows. Johnson’s novel aims to fill the gaps in the historical record by imagining what the group’s experiences in Europe might have been like.

The novel is a respectful and well-researched piece of historical fiction, and I am grateful to Johnson for bringing this story to a wider audience. Some of the fictional aspects didn’t quite work for me, notably the (completely invented) young German girl who is the main character, and the sections narrated by a mysterious ghostly presence.

I highly recommend Paris Savages for anyone with a particular interest in the subject of human zoos, or fans of Australian historical fiction generally. For a strictly non-fiction take on Boni's story, the radio documentary Cast Among Strangers is excellent, and the link also includes photos of Boni’s cast.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

4.5 stars

‘This is a work of imagination inspired by the little known true story of three Aboriginal people – Bonangera (Bonny/Boni), Dorondera and Jurano – taken to Europe as living exhibits in 1882-83. While travellers and performers has been journeying to Europe from distant lands since the time of Columbus, it was not until the mid-to-late nineteenth century that ‘ethnic shows’, also known as ‘human zoos’, became mass entertainment.’

Katherine Johnson, Author’s Note, Paris Savages

Six years of intensive research and one PhD has resulted in the release of Paris Savages, a 2019 Ventura Press publication by Katherine Johnson. Katherine Johnson’s latest piece of fiction represents a bold but necessary undertaking. Paris Savages draws our collective consciousness to a concealed area of our nation’s history. In the 1800s, Indigenous people were taken from their homes and set sail for distant European lands, to be exhibited to the public, scientists, anthropologists and even royalty, as a human zoo. These ethnic shows were designed to showcase the culture and Indigenous way of life, but the systematic exploitation and incorrect representation of people in these shows was abysmal. Katherine Johnson takes an informed and sensitive approach to the difficult subject matter contained in Paris Savages.

This harrowing and regrettable chapter from our nation’s history books begins in the year 1882. As the local Badtjala people fight for their lives and their land, a lifeline is offered from an unlikely source. Three Badtjala people from the Fraser Island area, which has been subjected to a horrific series of massacres, take on an opportunity to be saved from certain death. They accompany a German scientist and his teenage daughter, on a trip across the high seas to Europe. In Europe, the trio are expected to perform to the public in a series of cultural shows. Travelling to Berlin, Paris and London, the group are faced with endless inappropriate displays of their culture to awaiting crowds. They also face further intense scrutiny from scientists, who want to learn more about their unique and age-old culture. But this is a very different world for the threesome from Fraser Island, and in working to preserve their culture, they face the fight of their lives.

The stunning native inspired cover and title of Katherine Johnson’s book caught my eye as soon as I was alerted to the upcoming release of this book. I wrestled a great deal with Paris Savages, it brought about a significant amount of inner turmoil. Whilst I was very thankful to the author for shining a light on this abandoned chapter of Australian history, I was utterly appalled that this terrible episode in our past occurred. How we allowed for the Badtjala people (among other Indigenous Australians) to be shipped over for the amusement of the European public, and the spectacle of scientists, is absolutely shocking. I grappled with this knowledge, but I feel that Katherine Johnson has completed an important public service to Australian readers. Paris Savages is a book that works to inform and send a clear message that such exploitation of the Indigenous should never occur again.

I selected Paris Savages for book bingo 2019, and whilst I debated over whether or not to assign this book to the inequality or culture categories, as it fulfils both, I have decided to cover the culture category. Culture is a complicated term in Paris Savages – we observe Indigenous culture being both suppressed and exaggerated. I found the placement of the Badtjala people in the human zoos to be very problematic. Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera were required to express certain elements of their culture that was agreeable to the adoring European public. Boomerang demonstrations, cultural dances and spear fights were encouraged, but it was never at the discretion of the trio to decide how they wished to express their culture to the public. The lack of choice, autonomy and freedom the Badtjala experienced simply brought home the whole issue of the suppression of culture. The Badtjala were not permitted to talk, dress or even sleep where they wished, which only worked to exacerbate their predicament. Although deeply saddening, Paris Savages highlights the vital role books of this nature play in raising our awareness of our past grievances.

On the upside, I did appreciate the mode of storytelling and narration adopted by Katherine Johnson. Paris Savages incorporates the unique perspective of Hilda, the young daughter of Louis Müller, a German scientist who takes three Badtjala people to Europe. For a sixteen year old protagonist, Hilda’s point of view is observant, astute and empathetic. We feel every point of frustration this young girl clearly experienced as she watched on in concern for the Badtjala trio’s welfare. Diary entries penned by Hilda help to illuminate this story further, giving the reader an extra sense of what was happening before Hilda’s eyes. In addition, Johnson includes the shrouded perspective of an outside narrator, a shadowy and ghostly presence who offers the reader a bonus narrative thread on the unfolding events.

Sadly, we know that Paris Savages is a fictional working, inspired by true accounts of what happened in centuries past. Illness, exposure to deadly viruses such as smallpox, and the fact that the trio were poked, prodded, and immortalised in casts took its toll on the Badtjala. The final fate of this trio is heartbreaking. Within the Afterword, Sources and Acknowledgements section, Katherine Johnson poses a set of very thought provoking questions, ‘What sort of society shows fellow human beings in this way? What do such shows say about the people looking on? Who were the savages?’ These are important moral questions, that I only wished society of the time could and should have asked themselves. We can only hope that this form of exploitation of the Indigenous and the savage behaviour exhibited by society of the time will never be perpetuated again.

If you have a special interest in uncovering Australia’s past, Paris Savages by Katherine Johnson is highly recommended reading.



Paris Savages is book #126 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘My views on the matter are quite strong, you may have gathered. The matter is simple. The spectacs have grown in size and nature and are now something quite ugly, telling us more about ourselves than the visiting tribes. If you keep showing him, as you have,’ he said, ‘his worth as a natural example of his type will diminish. It would be a great loss.’

This novel has rather devastated me in the way that only brilliant fiction can. There is a beautiful spirituality present throughout the entire novel that is in sharp contrast to the distressing history that it conveys. I have heard in passing about humans from different cultures appearing in ethnographic exhibitions, but I have never been immersed into a story that explores it so fully. It is a history that is so offensive, yet these ethnic shows, ‘human zoos’, were big business in Europe and America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I can barely fathom a society that considered showing fellow humans beings in such a manner – an entirely dehumanising practice that really redefines for me, exactly who was the more ‘savage race’. The shows themselves were tragic enough, but the scientific research was distressing and sickening. There seemed to have been a complete detachment on the part of scientists. These people were specimens to experiment on, not human beings to consider. This novel is meant to make the reader uncomfortable. Hidden histories once exposed are like that.

‘During our time here Papa has added to the ethnographic notes that our patron, Mr Sheridan, requested. Papa’s own tests included measurements of people’s bodies and strength, although Mama and I never liked such invasions. As Mama said, we do not need rulers and lengths of tape to see that our friends are as human as we are. ‘The act of measurement reduces us, Louis,’ she said, not unkindly, taking his hand into her own. Mama, like Mr Sheridan, preferred studies of what people do and what they know. But Papa argued that scientists overseas would demand objective facts.’

Paris Savages is uniquely narrated. We have Hilda, who is compassionate and personally attached to Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera. Then we gain additional insight into Hilda’s perspective via her diary, offering the reader an interesting dual gaze from the one perspective. It was cleverly done. A third perspective is offered by a ghost narrator, whose job it is to tell us the story from Bonny’s perspective. I really loved this narrative tool, it was beautifully done, harnessing Bonny’s spirituality and conveying his intelligent analysis of the situation he and his fellow Badtjala travellers had found themselves in. We are also privy to what is going on back home in Fraser Island through the gaze of this perspective. Like I mentioned earlier, this is a very immersive novel and this is largely owing to the style of narration.

‘Do not think the ghost storyteller is blind to Hilda’s distress. She feels it deeply, but that is another story, and it is Bonny’s story she promised to tell now as best she can. Hilda, the ghost storyteller has seen, has started a journal. The ghost storyteller is pleased. She goes on, whispering the story into the wind in the hope it will be heard by all who stop to listen.’

I felt very much a part of the story in terms of journeying through it all with Hilda. Right from the beginning, when they all board the ship off the coast of Fraser Island, I was filled with a sense of unease that was mirrored within Hilda. As her unease moves into concern, morphing into distress at what is happening to her friends, so too did I feel all of these emotions and feelings of entrenched dread and horror at what was unfolding. I found this to be such an affecting novel, yet not so much that I couldn’t read it because it was too distressing, more that I wanted to know everything about the history; I wanted to fully appreciate the horror of what has been done to indigenous people in the pursuit of science and spectacle, with callous regard for them as human beings. Exploring this history through fiction was ideal for me, because I honestly could not have gone there with it in a non-fiction form. As far as colonial history goes, this is a sample of some of our worst. I am so grateful to Katherine Johnson for giving us Paris Savages. It is an exceptional novel that is so well informed, intelligently articulated, and portrayed with truth and empathy. Highly recommended reading.

‘Hilda felt sick. What had she and her father done bringing Bonny, Dorondera and Jurano here? She had thought they were helping. She had hoped the crowds would look upon her friends with the admiration the three had been denied in their own country and that they would be treated well.’


Thanks is extended to Ventura Press for providing me with a copy of Paris Savages via NetGalley for review.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating, heartbreaking and thought-provoking historical fiction novel. While this is a work of fiction, it is sadly inspired by actual accounts and has involved an incredible amount of research by Australian author Katherine Johnson.

Part of this story is told from the perspective of Hilda, the observant teenage daughter of German scientist Louis Müller, as he takes three Badtjala people (from K’gari, recently known as Fraser Island) to Europe in 1882, as “living exhibits” in “human zoos” for inspection by crowds, and intrusive scientific investigation.

The story is illuminated further thanks to an external narrator, a shadowy existence who offers an alternative perspective of the experience of the three Badtjala people - Bonangera (Boni) [aged eighteen], Jurano [aged twenty-two], and his niece Dorondera [aged fifteen].

Katherine Johnson explores resistance, resilience, culture and exploitation in this beautifully crafted, and respectfully written story! I appreciated the additional detail offered in the afterword and acknowledgement section.

4.5 stars

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘They are dying under our noses.’

K’gari/ Fraser Island, 1882. The population of the indigenous Badtjala people is in sharp decline: introduced illness and brutal massacres have each had an impact. This is a part of our history that many Australians prefer not to think of. In this novel, based on a true story, Ms Johnson invites us to revisit an uncomfortable past.

‘This is a work of imagination inspired by the little-known true story of three Aboriginal people - Bonangera (Bonny/Boni), Dorondera and Jurano – taken to Europe as living exhibits in 1882-83.’

Louis Müller, a German engineer, his wife Christel and their daughter Hilda have been living on K’gari for some time. But Christel dies, and Louis Müller receives an invitation, from a man called Hagenbeck, to return home to Germany if he takes three Badtjala natives with them. Louis Müller tells Hilda that there is great interest in seeing them, and if the dangers of extinction become known, perhaps a reserve will be created. Hilda has misgivings, but eighteen-year-old Bonangera (Bonny) agrees on behalf of himself, twenty-two-year-old Jurano and his fifteen-year old niece, Donordera.

Bonny agrees, believing that while the journey will require the trio to perform in Hamburg, Berlin and Paris, they will then travel to London where they will seek help from Queen Victoria.

Nothing goes according to plan. Three people, displaced from their homes, treated as curiosities in a human zoo. Three people treated as living exhibits. Three people who’ve been taught to speak the ‘civilised’ languages of English and German but who are told to only speak Badjtala so they will appear authentic. Three people required to wear their customary clothing in the cold climates of Europe.

‘But it is worth keeping in mind that speaking a language is not the same as knowing someone’s thought.’

Much of the story is told by Hilda, who becomes increasingly uncomfortable with what is happening.
There were times when I had to put this novel down. While we can only imagine how Bonny, Jurano and Donordera felt, and the stories they would each tell, there is enough fact behind the fiction to make me feel very uncomfortable. Despite this discomfort (and perhaps because of it), I recommend this novel to all Australians seeking to know more of (at times uncomfortable) colonial history.

‘There is comfort to be gained from remembering the bravery of the people who journeyed before you.’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paris Savages imagines the largely unknown, true story of three Badtjala people - Bonny, Dorondera and Jurano - as they travel to and through Europe on display in "human zoos" in the 1880s. Written as part of Johnson's PhD, the novel exposes some of humanity's worst traits, and illustrates the harm that good intentions can wreak. Readers should note triggers for exploitation of and violence towards first nations people.

Hilda Muller has followed her parents from Germany to Queensland, Australia, where they live alongside the Badtjala, researching their culture and learning their language. After her mother's death, Hilda's father Louis is invited to bring local "Aborigines" to tour the grand cities of Europe, and accepts, persuading Bonny, Dorondera and Jurano to leave their home and families. We follow the group as they travel across the seas, and are put on display in Germany, France and England. Each stage of the journey strips away layers of Hilda and the trio's trust and illusions, until the costs far exceed the gains of the voyage.

So much of this novel made me deeply uncomfortable, and certain moments were filled with true horror, showing what terrible things humans have done to one another. Bearing witness to human exploitation can't begin to scratch the surface of experiencing it, but I felt the way Johnson intended me to feel - shame and guilt that our first nations people were ever treated this way.

It's no surprise that colonialism, exploitation and racism form the central themes of this novel. Johnson is particularly scathing about the men who receive financial gain from exhibiting the trio, showing how economic concerns can corrupt humanitarian ones. At the same time, Johnson is passing commentary on the way humans react to difference - sadly still a contemporary issue.

I found this a surprisingly quick and easy read, obviously not in terms of the subject matter, but in terms of the writing style. Johnson effortlessly incorporates the historical information she has meticulously researched, but she always has an eye on moving the narrative forward.

My main critique would be that, in my view, we didn't necessarily need the "ghost" voice. I understand it allowed Johnson to move beyond Hilda's perspective, but for me that voice didn't stand out enough from the regular narration, and so was less effective. Given the voice's identity (revealed quite late in the piece), I also would have expected a more critical account of events in those sections.

However, Paris Savages is an enlightening and unsettling read, for those interested in learning more about a little-known part of Australian Indigenous history.

I received a copy of Paris Savages from Ventura Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reserved this impressive book at the library about a month ago after I read Jennifer's review at Goodreads and was not disappointed. It's a remarkable book.

It brought three other books to mind: Jane Sullivan's Little People which is a novel about people of short stature touring as exhibits (see my review here); Paddy O'Reilly's The Wonders which exposes the morbid curiosity that lies behind not just the freak shows of the 19th century but also those contemporary ‘human interest’ stories that feature disabled people (see my review here); and Anouk Ride's The Grand Experiment which I read before I started this blog. A non-fiction account of real events and based on thorough research, The Grand Experiment is a different kind of Stolen Generations story, in which two young Nyungar boys were taken to Italy by a Benedictine monk from the New Norcia Monastery in WA, to become monks themselves. They went, apparently, with parental permission, and the plan was well-intentioned, the monks hoping to offer education and opportunities the boys could not have had on the mission. They met the Pope and other notables, but the extent of the education they purportedly received is dubious since neither left a written record. Conaci died in Europe, and Dirimera died soon after returning to Australia.

Paris Savages explores themes which arose from my reading of those three books. To what extent could 'exhibits' in a human zoo have any agency over the way they were represented, when the entire exercise was based on ambitions the participants did not share? In what ways could they be said to have given informed consent? How could they possibly have known what they were in for? Johnson's novel, based on thorough research, depicts the cultural shock that Anouk Ride discussed, and with the same difficulties: the documentary record is scanty, and there is no record at all of the Indigenous point-of-view. The author's note at the beginning of the book explains how she resolved this issue:

According to a retrospective on the subject in Paris in 2012, worldwide, between 1800 and 1958, over a billion spectators attended such acts, marvelling at more than 35,000 individuals, significantly influencing view on 'race'.

That latter date astonished me. These offensive forms of mass entertainment can't be consigned to the 19th century. They were still occurring during my childhood.
Johnson then refers the readers to the Afterword to see her sources, and then goes on to say...

Paris Savages builds on these scant records to envisage the story of Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera, Badtjala/Butchulla people from K'gari (Fraser Island). Rather than assuming Aboriginal viewpoints, the story is told through fictional characters related in the novel to the German engineer Louis Müller, who is known to have transported the group to Europe. (p.ix)

Johnson's achievement is to expose the human cost of Müller's 'scientific' ambitions. Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera agree to go because the Badtjala people are in decline after the massacres which accompany being dispossessed from their land, and Bonny hopes to be able to bring their plight to Queen Victoria's personal attention so that she will intervene. The plan is that they will travel to England after being exhibited in Europe, and nobody disabuses them of the improbability of such a meeting. By narrating the story mostly from the point of view of Müller's teenage daughter Hilda, Johnson shows the journey from naïveté to full awareness of betrayal. Müller always caves in to unconscionable exploitation of the people in his care, not just because he is under financial pressure because of the costs involved, but also because he shares the prevailing pseudo-scientific ideas of the German entrepreneurs and the scientists they use to justify what they are doing.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/10/14/p...

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her Author’s Note, Katherine Johnson describes Paris Savages as “a work of imagination” inspired by a little-known true story. That story involves three Aboriginal people – Bonangera (known as Bonny), Dorondera and Jurano – members of the Badtjala tribe, who were taken from their home on K’gari (Fraser Island) to Europe as living exhibits in 1882-83.

Katherine also explains her choice not to assume Aboriginal viewpoints in telling the story. So, alongside the narrative told from the point of view of Hilda Muller, daughter of the German scientist who organises the trip, and excerpts from Hilda’s journal, a “ghost storyteller” provides the reader with an insight into Bonny’s experiences. Initially, I was unsure about this element of magic realism but I came to see it as a way of replicating, honouring even, the belief of the Badtjala people in spirit guides and an oral storytelling tradition.

For Hilda, the trip to Europe is a process of disillusionment as her trust in her father’s judgment and motives are tested. “Surely he would not have anything to do with a venture that collects people as curiosities and promises them ‘fancy articles’, as if they were children.” She is torn between her love for her father, still grieving the death of Hilda’s mother, Christel, her desire to support him in bringing to fruition her mother’s dream of a reserve for the threatened Badtjala people, and her doubts about the trip.

When they arrive in Europe, the initial excitement that greets them soon gives way to misgivings about how they are being represented in the displays organised for the paying public. They are exhibited as curiosities, forced to engage in often unrepresentative activities, or dance displays that ignore their traditional meaning. “That is where the interest lies. Natural. Exotic. Picturesque.” It poses the question, who are the savages? Those on display, or those who watch?

Alongside the “human zoos”, I’m sure I’m not the only reader to share Hilda’s growing sense of horror at the indignities and pseudo-scientific procedures to which the three Badtjala people are subjected. With a growing sense of guilt she wonders if she has led her ‘friends’, as she thinks of them, into a terrible trap.

Hilda becomes increasingly dismayed at the gulf between the enlightened views inherited from her mother and those of many of the supposedly educated individuals she encounters. She wonders, “Was she so different from most whites in her beliefs? Had her mother indeed been as alone in her opinions as she had said?” She recalls the words of her mother that “we do not need rulers and lengths of tape to see that our friends are as human as we are”.

At one point the ghost storyteller whispers to Bonny’s son back on K’gari, “Sorry, Little Bonny, if this story is becoming difficult for you to hear. It is becoming difficult, too, to tell.” The story of Bonangera, Dorondera and Jurano is a difficult one to read, especially as it is based on fact. I think we’d all like to imagine we have come a long way since the days when human beings were exhibited in zoos and freak shows. However, as recent events have demonstrated, ending inequality, valuing other cultures, and protecting the natural world are still live issues.

In highlighting the story of Bonangera, Dorondera and Jurano, Paris Savages not only provides a fascinating, if disturbing, insight into the past but is a timely reminder that challenges still remain in how we treat one another.

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

When science allows itself to be distorted by racial propaganda - as it was for some at the end of the nineteenth century by the determination to prove the superiority of northern Europeans, the Aryans, over the rest of mankind - then you have the bizarre anthropology that allowed grave robbing, the theft of human remains and funeral artefacts, and eventually the display of human beings as little more than circus animals. Paris Savages is based on the true lives of three native Australians from Fraser Island off the southern coast of Queensland, properly called K'gari, who were taken to Germany for exhibition by an engineer, Louis Muller.

Muller had fallen into disgrace in his own country after a bridge he had designed collapsed, derailing a train and causing several deaths. After a number of years of exile he saw a way of retrieving his fortunes by bring the Australians, Bonangera - known as Bonny - Dorondera and Jurano, to be displayed, studied and toured with the help of the showman Carl Hagenbeck. The hope of a healthy profit seemed to be his motive. In the novel he is accompanied by his young daughter, Hilda, who is persuaded that the journey will benefit the Australians and allow them to eventually petition Queen Victoria to protect K'gari from British exploitation.

Hilda has been falling in love with Bonny and has a far more humanitarian outlook than her father. As the European tour begins she gradually comes to understand the truth behind her father's actions and sees the increasingly deplorable humiliations her Australian friends have to endure.

The morality of the novel is straight-forward - by necessity - as the actions and reactions of the German, French and British public and scientists prove to be no more than one would expect from societies built on their own perceived racial superiority. To anyone aware of the existence of such "ethnic shows" or "human zoos" there is little new to be learned, for those who do not know of such circuses the novel will be justly disturbing.

If I had to make any criticism at all it would be over the brief woke culture digression that remarks on Charles Dickens' journalistic piece in "Household Words". Whatever racist views he had were no more pronounced than those of any other Victorian writer and it is unfortunate to single him out as if his views were unique.

The author's Afterword provides a very helpful summary of the factual bases of the novel and gives bibliographic information for further research. It is a very moving and informative novel and I recommend it to anyone open to a revisionist view of nineteenth century European society.

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a book with a big impact on me as a reader. I knew very little of the 'human zoo's' that were all the rage in the late 1800's, and to witness the impact on those signed up to take part was often very unsettling and uncomfortable - the cruelty of humans towards other humans in the pursuit of money seems not to have changed much over the years. Although this is fiction it is based on real historical events which makes it even more hard hitting.

Told from the viewpoint of Hilda through her diary, we get to see the story of how she sees the world. Her father is a scientist and is involved with travelling around the world a lot and it's his work that brings the Badjtala people to his attention and to the attention of the world. Those in Europe are desperate to see these different people so 3 of them travel with the scientist and his daughter to be 'shown off' and studied.

And that's where it gets very uncomfortable as you read of their experiences. From travelling by boat and their treatment by the crew on board, to their experiences in Europe and at the hands of the scientists they encounter - they become commodities and freaks to be prodded and poked. The 3 who travel - Bonny, Jurano & Dorondera - are such great characters who face appalling treatment. And I loved Hilda too who was very wise beyond her years. You could see her battling with herself in wanting to be loyal to her father, but also seeing things from the other side of the coin and how her father changes when he's in the company of others. She deeply cares for her new 'friends' and for her to see how others treat them wherever they go is tough for her. It really is shocking to witness for her.

This was a truly fascinating and enthralling book that really opened my eyes to a period of history I knew very little about. Highly recommended!!

[Libs Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this book presented an element of history that is either awkwardly romanticised or forgotten about entirely. This is an important book that has been meticulously researched and tries to remain respectful while amplifying voices that are often ignored. The writing is unique and presented in a rather unique way that I enjoyed. My only real issues were the pacing and some of the characterisation. There were parts of this book where to focus ended up being of describing the setting, rather than analysing the characters which is where the book fell a little flat for me. In spite of this I would highly recommend this book as it's an important story that needs to be heard.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject of this novel (human zoos in the 1880’s) is one that I would like to further explore but I feel that a work of non-fiction would be a better read for me. This was a novel that I struggled to read and not because of the subject matter. I did not enjoy the author's style of writing. It is told from a first-person point of view (Hilda, a bright young girl) and her diary entries. There are also the observations from her dead mother. It just did not flow well for me as I was reading it.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of Paris Savages when I was in Hobart, Tasmania this February. Thinking about how easy it was to fly there and how care-free we were is a stark contrast to today’s world. I hope that in these uncertain times, my book blog can bring you some respite from the world, along with a few good book suggestions to help keep reality away.


The first thing that drew me Katherine Johnson’s novel was the cover. I know, I know… judging a book by it’s cover. But I couldn’t help it. The title also intrigued me. As a long time student and scholar of modern history, I had studied human zoos in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was intrigued to see what this book might have to say about them.

Johnson’s novel was a slow read for me, and I have struggled with trying to figure out how to approach this review. I didn’t like the book, and I didn’t not like the book. I have been trying to figure out what exactly it was about it all that made it a hard and uncomfortable read.

The subject matter is confronting, yet I feel like it didn’t give me anything new. The portrayal of Whiteness was shaped through a white-saviours lens. There were racist scientists and the Müller family who thought of themselves as true helpers of the indigenous cause were probably the most despicable of all the characters in the novel.

Chapters are split up between the narration of events seen through Hilda, and from a ghost-like figure who I assumed was Hilda Müller’s mother. Although, the ambiguity of this figure is never really resolved. The use of this unknown narrator provides not only an outside view of the situation, and this incorporeal narrator provides an element of magic realism in the novel. However, I felt this fantastical narrator falls short in its ability to convey new insights for the story.

Whilst reading this novel I wondered why this story was being told. And why now? What was at stake? How were the indigenous characters being treated and represented? How can we talk about these horrific histories without over-simplifying indigenous experiences? To be honest, I felt left with more questions than answers after reading this book. I don’t think that non-indigenous people should not be allowed to participate in telling historical (and fictional) stories about our shared past, however, I do feel uneasy about it.

One of my main concerns is about reducing indigenous experiences to only heartbreak and sorrow. Aboriginality in Australia is vast and varied. There is so much more to indigenous experiences beyond just getting churned up in White history. Even though Johnson said that she wanted to tell the narrative from the perspective of Hilda, a German immigrant in Australia, as a way to possibly ‘avoid’ speaking for indigenous people, it also means that white people are centred again in indigenous stories. And what does this mean for aboriginal history and stories?

I don’t know what the balance could look like. There is no easy way to think about the colonial past and how it impacts our future. I still don’t know how to feel about ‘Paris Savages’. It will probably be pin-balling around in my head for many days to come. What do you think? As always, share the reading love.

[Stacey Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world of Victorian ‘freak’ shows and the like seem to be popular at the moment – perhaps led by The Greatest Showman’s depiction of PT Barnum. But where that film shows a somewhat rosy and empowering view of exhibiting people, books like Paris Savages and Christina Henry’s The Mermaid depict the distasteful underbelly of exhibiting people for an audience.

Katherine Johnson’s latest book formed the basis of her PhD so, as you can imagine, there is a depth of research here that is really to be admired. Where she is forced to include her own narrative, where details of the real-life Badtjala are sketchy, she is still able to evoke the Victorian period in detail.

At the start of the book, Hilda Müller is living in paradise with only the death of her mother adding clouds to her horizon. Her life on K’Gari (Fraser Island) is carefree as she and her father live among the Badtjala people, teaching them and learning from them. But Herr Müller has plans to take three of the Badtjala people, Bonny, Dorondera and Jurano, to Europe – for what he claims is to show Europeans Aboriginal people with a view to establishing a protected reserve for the Badtjala on K’Gari. Whatever his motivations at the start of the trip, they begin to change as the exhibition of Bonny, Dorondera and Jurano begins to bring in large sums of money.

One of the most hard-hitting aspects of this novel is that the exhibition of living humans is so easily undertaken by entrepreneurs in the so-called civilised world and that so many are willing to pay to gawp at the ‘exotics’. Aside from the group from K’Gari, Katherine Johnson touches on many real-life groups of people who were exhibited and taken advantage of during this period. Eskimos (in the language of that time), Senegalese people, Samoan people, Native Americans and many more groups from colonised nations were exhibited in Europe and the US, often for much less that their fair share of the profits made and at the detriment of their own health as they came into contact with new diseases and poor living conditions.

Bonny, the assumed leader of the group, has his own reasons for travelling to Europe – he wishes to petition Queen Victoria for the protected reserve. He has no ambition for money and fame, and yet even he is disillusioned when he and his friends are pressed into performing as ‘savages’ when they have skills, knowledge and language enough to walk among any crowd of people.

As expected on starting this book, there is tragedy in it which is hard to read. Good intentions so very often warp and change and so to do they here.

Katherine Johnson does a fantastic job of bringing us into the Victorian period, but is very careful never to speak for Bonny, Dorondera and Jurano, which I think is important. She allows us a glimpse into what they may be thinking and feeling using a ghost character without presuming to speak for them. It’s an interesting device and it strikes the right note here.

Although fiction, this book is so rich in research and detail that it reads very much like non-fiction in places. It’s a great starting point for those interested in this period and the so-called Human Zoos of the Victorian era.

[Pollyanna Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painful to read (not because of poor writing) but because the outcome is clear right from the beginning. The loss of innocence is heartbreaking throughout the book. It made me think deeply about the myriad subtle ways that we can all become complicit in cruelty, discrimination and dehumanising, even with the best of intentions. It made me weep for the sorrow that still lives in this land and it’s First Nations people.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reluctant to tackle this novel because I think it's one to be in the right frame of mind to read. Once I got to it, it took me all week to read. There's a lot of tension in what the characters are experiencing. In a nutshell it's the tale of indigenous Australians who performed in human zoos in Europe, based on a true story.

[Teagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After spying the beautiful Aussie bush cover on the shelves at Big W my eyes pricked at the words 'Fraser Island'. I have only ever been camping there once but it was some of our best ever camping memories and I was keen to add the book to my cart and learn more about the Indigenous history of the island.

The story is from the perspective of Hilda, a young German girl who looses her mother and is in the care of her eccentric father. Disapproval shrouds the pair as they head for Europe with three Indigenous people. The events that come next are inhumane to say the least as the author explores the treatment of Indigenous people by a large population of Europeans during the time. The fact that many Indigenous people were either forced (or went willingly) to Europe to perform of be caged like zoo animals for the public was chilling, my face was often scrunched in disgust, how did I not know about this? This form of intrusive science is utterly disturbing and in evidently shaped the social racism around the world.

Although I found the story difficult to follow at times and I got a bit lost with the names and who they were or the part they played I really appreciated the eye opening history that was unfolding before me on the page. If you like historical fiction to soak up new stories and learn something new I really recommend this read.

After reading the novel I had mixed emotions about the style of storytelling and what I had actually read. As I was scrolling through the Booktopia Podcast a few days later I stumbled across Katherine's interview and listened with open ears, I love hearing authors speak about their work.
I found a new appreciation for the work after listening to Katherine's words. I highly recommend that you give it a read before or after you read the novel; it didn't really get into the plot so much as the historical facts behind it.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictional but disturbing portrayal of a little known but true part of Australian history.
Three Aboriginal people were taken to Europe and subjected to demeaning treatment in the name of science and education.
Not only were they "put on show" and expected to "perform", but they were regarded as specimens for scientists to investigate, measure, and be covered in plaster in order to have molds of their bodies made. They were often incorrectly called savages and cannibals.
Bonny, one of the trio, naively believed that while in England he would be able to talk to the queen and ask her to help solve the problems of his people, including massacres and displacement. And how naive was heir friend Hilda!!
At times this book made me angry and embarrassed that people could treat other humans so poorly.
A well written and researched expose of terrible experiences. And so well written it aroused many emotions.

On beautiful Fraser Island in 1882, the population of the Badtjala people is in sharp decline following a run of brutal massacres. When German man Louis Müller offers to sail eighteen-year-old Bonny to Europe, along with twenty-two year old Jurano and his fifteen-year-old niece, Donordera, the proud and headstrong Bonny agrees. Accompanied by Müller’s bright and grieving daughter, Hilda, the group begins their journey to perform in Hamburg, Berlin, Paris and eventually London in the hope of seeking help from the Queen of England. While crowds in Europe are enthusiastic to see the unique dances, singing, fights, and pole climbing from the oldest culture in the world, the attention is relentless, and the fascination of scientists intrusive. Bonny is not a passive victim, and starts to earn money from mocking the crowd, but when disaster strikes, he must find a way to return home. A story of love, bravery, culture and the fight against injustice, Paris Savages brings a little-known part of history to blazing life, from one of Australia’s most intriguing novelists.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Le zoo human n'est pas l'exhibition de la sauvagerie, mais la construction de celle-ci."

Thank you to the people at Allison and Busby for sending me a copy of this book.

Paris Savages is a fictional work based on the story of real people - Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera, three Badtjala people who in the 1880s were offered the chance to travel to Europe with German scientist Louis Müller, under the promise that they would have an audience with the Queen to bring awareness to the brutal massacres that were endangering their people. Yet instead they are paraded around Europe - put on show for audiences and scientists alike.

This is a part of history often glossed over and sensationalised - when you think of someone like P.T.Barnum the image is often of that shown in things like The Greatest Showman.

What this book really brings to light is the abuse of power to many in the shows - the exploitation of their cultures, where only the parts that were in line with those in charge's ideals were allowed to be shown. The lack of humanity towards Indigenous people - with entertainment and scientific advancement being put over their welfare.

The character of Hilda, a fictional daughter of Müller, was an interesting voice for the main narrator - although sympathetic towards the Badtjala people and their culture, her naivety also breaks through. The use of a second ghost-like voice really emphasised this - showing many parts of the story that her privilege protected her from seeing.

This is a tough read in places but an important one. Respectfully written and extensively researched, Johnson carefully examines the questions of the damage these now often forgotten shows caused, not only to individuals but also to the connotations of race and different cultures and what does it say about a world that allowed these shows to happen?

CW: racism.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.. just wow. This book is so powerful, and has left a huge impact on me.

The story is set in the late 1800s, and follows 3 Aboriginals from K’gari (Fraser Island), Queensland, as they are taken to Europe by scientist Louis Muller to participate as ‘living exhibits’ in one of the ‘ethnic shows’ (also known as ’human zoos’) that were all the rage back then. I didn’t know about this period of history in Europe and the involvement of Aboriginals, so I enjoyed learning this history. Although the novel is a work of fiction, it is based on a true story, as there are real accounts of these 3 Aboriginals touring Europe.

It is a heartbreaking read. I loved it and couldn’t put it down, but at the same time I often had this sick feeling in my stomach while reading. The treatment that these Aboriginals (called ’savages’ by the Europeans) endured was so hard to read. They were such lovely, friendly people who wanted to fit in with the Europeans. As well as badtjala (their native language), they could also speak English and German, but were told not to use these languages in order to seem ‘authentic’. They were also told only to use their indigenous dress (even in the cold climate of Europe). This just made the seeming gap between them and the Europeans so wide, I can see how Katherine claims in the Author’s Note that this affected views of race for centuries to come.

Most of the book is told from Hilda’s (the scientists’s daughter) perspective. I loved Hilda, and I think telling the story from her point of view was so great, as she straddled both the European and Aboriginal sides of the story, having grown up on K’gari.

This is really important must-read for all Australians.

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

Wow what an amazing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read this was. I'm still blown away!

The book was set in the late 1800's and follows three Aborigines - Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera - from K'gari (also known as Fraser Island). They willingly go to Europe with German scientist Louis Muller and his teenage daughter Hilda to perform for the public in "human zoos". Bonny wants to bring the plight of his people - the Badtjala - to the Queen of England.

What we are given is a story that shows us how badly the First Australians were treated in that era. It is told mainly from Hilda's perspective with some insights shown from a "ghost" who dares to step into Bonny's perspective. The novel was a work of fiction but was based on true stories which makes it all the more heartbreaking. The author clearly did meticulous research and the authors note was fascinating.

I found this compelling and difficult to read all at the same time. An important read and one that you should pick up especially if you have little background in Australian Indigenous history. How could we humans see our Indigenous peoples as savages?

Maybe - as the book poses - it is the others that are the savages?

[Jess Theworddegree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Johnson makes clever narrative voice choices, in Paris Savages, that allows her to tell the story of Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera without ever assuming she could narrate the experience first hand. Despite the delicate nature of the story you feel like you are in safe and capable hands. Johnson uses real diary and newspaper excerpts to piece together a fictional narrative that, although it moves slowly, is as close to the truth as I could imagine myself. The story focuses around these Fraser Island natives being taken across the world to Europe to be shown in ‘people zoos’. The whole book begs the question who are truly the ‘savages’, those in the ‘zoo’ or those who watch their fellow man. It’s an uncomfortable read, slow burn but nevertheless an extremely important story that I am glad I have read.

I received this book from the publisher.

[Allthebooks_iread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travelling back to the 1880’s, disgraced German engineer turned scientist emigrates with his wife & daughter to K’gari - Fraser Island in Queensland Australia. The family befriend the local Badtjala tribe but after the death of his wife, Louis Müller & his daughter Hilda embark on a tour across Europe with 3 of the locals - Bonny, Jurano & Donordera as part of a ‘human zoo’

‘We have raised you to think for yourself, Hilda. Let the thoughts of others reside with them’

An interesting yet dark insight into a part of Australian history & human zoos that I didn’t know much about prior to reading. Unfortunately people were more interested in who had the best show with the most exotic exhibits rather than respecting that these were people on display. It brings to light who were the real savages of society at the time.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Paris Savages’ by Katherine Johnson is a captivating and enthralling novel, inspired by the true story of three Aboriginal people; Bonangera, Dorondera and Jurano from Fraser Island. 

Taken to Europe by German man Louis Müller in 1882 to perform as living exhibits, with these shows often described as “human zoos" performing for many thousands of spectators.

Crowds were fascinated to see dancing, singing, fights and pole climbing by the oldest culture in the world. The attention overwhelming, relentless and disturbing from spectators and scientists desperate to study the performers alike.

These uncomfortable and horrific parts of history are confronting, and leave us asking; how can a society treat fellow human beings in this way? It begs the question, who are the real savages?

This book was a powerful story of love, culture, injustice and bravery that I’m so glad I read.

[The Bookshop Umina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying reading novels that explore little known pieces of history. A fascinating read and a devastating look at how indigenous peoples were treated in these travelling exhibitions.

[Final Draft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Johnson’s Paris Savages
Katherine Johnson is the author of four novels including 2017's Matryoshka.
Paris Savages weaves a narrative around true events from the late nineteenth century that saw three Batdjala people leave their home on K’gari (Gurri) (or as white invaders called it; Fraser Island) to travel through Europe in what came to be known as human zoos.
The narrative begins on K’gari where German engineer Louis Muller is working as an anthropologist; living with the Batdjala people. He offers the opportunity to travel to Bonangera (Bonny), Jurano and Dorondera and they agree; taking it as an opportunity to highlight their culture and to petition the English Queen to intervene in the violence and calculated extinction of their people.
The narrative unfolds through the story of Hilda; Muller’s (fictional) daughter. Hilda has grown up among the Batdjala and speaks their language. She is sympathetic to their cause and their call for freedom.
The genesis of this story began for Katherine Johnson when she heard of the rediscovery of a full body cast that was made of Bonny. The statue was uncovered in a museum in Lyon and revealed something of the story of these three Batdjala who had travelled across the european continent.
Like so much of Australia’s history that concerns Aboriginal people, the story has fallen away and little was known. Johnson embarked on research that ultimately culminated in a Phd and the book Paris Savages.
It’s important to note that this a story of three Badtjala people but it is not told through their voices. The exercise is fraught with the possibility of appropriation and when I spoke with Katherine she told me of her concerns about this and the close consultation and collaboration she did with Badtjala academic Dr Fiona Foley. The story deliberately avoids telling from the perspective of Bonny, Jurano or Dorondera. Instead adopting the fictionalised voices of Hilda as well as an omniscient narrator who is intriguingly woven into the tale.
The group begin their time in Europe in Hamburg as part of the Tierpark of Carl Hagenback. The park and its environment parallel the American shows of P.T. Barnum and in fact there is correspondence and crossover with the American showman. This was brutally fascinating for me as I knew very little about Barnum, except that he ran a type of circus and was recently feted in the film The Greatest Showman.
Paris Savages is many things, but this contrast between the hyperbolic fanfare of the Greatest Showman film and the racist pseudoscience Johnson presents as the foundation for these shows is stark. It was at this time in our history, a time were colonialism was firmly set and shoring up its power globally, that science was being brought to bear on the dubious question of race. These shows were racist voyeurism that convinced many people of attitudes that are still held; that somehow whiteness was superior as evidenced by the modes of living viewed in the shows.
The title Paris Savages is meant to be ironic, although it is perhaps one of the riskiest elements of the book when viewed without the context of the narrative. Through the unfolding tale Johnson means to questions the notion of savagery vs civilisation. I don’t want to say too much of the story of Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera because the book is one to be experienced. Suffice to say though history has shown us they were not successful in petitioning the queen; the massacres in Australia continued and we still live in a world where the oldest continuous culture on the planet is treated like annoying flotsam.
Paris Savages is a must read, but it is a novel that must be read critically. My hope is that people will discover this book and ask about all the other stories that have been lost or silenced and that it will lead them to discover many of the fantastic works by blak writers telling their own stories.
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[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An historical novel which brings to life the unfortunate experience of small groups of people brought to Europe in the 1880s, this is a book of large themes and horrors. Hilda is a young woman who has travelled to Fraser Island, Australia and spent six years there, learning of and experiencing at first hand the Badtjala people, their family links, traditions and superstitions. When her father, a troubled engineer, decides to take three of the surviving tribe members to Germany and beyond, Hilda believes that it is to help raise funds for a reserve in which they can live safely. This is a complex tale told in journal entries, third person narration and from the viewpoint of a ghostly interpreter. The three individuals they take, Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera, are far more vulnerable than they at first seem, especially to the exploitation and more that they face. This is a book in which the settings of nineteenth century Europe really come alive, and the attitudes towards the “other” are demonstrated in all their painful reality. This is a novel which deals with the nuances of the treatment of people who were denied voices then, and has therefore something to say about how people are treated today. I was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this book.

The book opens with Hilda remembering her mother and observing her father as they live amid the tribespeople in almost dreamlike circumstances. Several of the older people remember losses of loved ones, yet there are also the small touches of humour as the natural world affects the dances and lives of the people and Hilda’s friends. She mourns her mother, and remembers vividly the things she said, how she looked, how she wrote in her journal. Hilda has a close relationship with the tribespeople, and taking the three individuals abroad creates all sorts of feelings for her, the desire to protect them, the fear of their embarrassment and suffering. Their experiences are hurtful in many ways, their living quarters insulting, and there is an enthusiasm to treat them as exhibits, objects to be measured, anything but people. Bonny in particular is physically strong, determined and focused on his intention to see Queen Victoria in person, but even he struggles to retain his dignity and sense of self in the face of challenges. The young woman, Dorondera, suffers from the indignity of being surrounded by men who want to examine her, treat her as an object, claiming that the needs of science overcome the considerations of common humanity.

This is a novel of showmanship, of how the prospect of financial gain can overcome conscience. This is not the hopeful world of the earliest circus celebrated in film, but of the sordid shows of people from other ethnic groups, treated like animals, with little concern for their well being and dignity. Written off as being less than human, Hilda sees their sadness. This book is full of the spirits, the stories and the impossible to explain elements of a life so different from that experienced in Europe, and Johnson writes so powerfully of the pain of that misunderstanding. Johnson is so good on the telling details of people encountered that many people spring from the story making it a complex tale. I recommend this book as a powerful exploration of lives lived in the shadow of discrimination and more, with many implications for today’s world.

[Robyn Bauer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much to enjoy in this one. The subject matter is pretty harrowing for a start, - three indigenous Australians taken to Europe in the 1880's to be subjected to all manner of degradations and paraded as exotic "exhibits". It is a story worth telling but this wasn't the book for it. I found the stilted prose almost unreadable. The plot of the German father and daughter imposed over the questionable events just seemed gratuitous.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read about the shameful treatment of Indigenous people around the world in the 1800s when those deemed to be ‘other’ were treated appallingly as scientific specimens rather than human. It is an uncomfortable topic that is skilfully explored through a deep and well structured narrative. Of particular note is the depth of the character Hilda as she begins to realise the part her father has played in the unfolding events.