The Archipelago of Us

by Renee Pettitt-Schipp

Five years after first living in the Indian Ocean Territories, Reneé Pettitt-Schipp finds herself returning, haunted by memories of the asylum seekers she taught there in Australia’s detention system. Why do the islands still have a hold on her? Why are her memories such troubled ones? And why can she not let go?

Closer to Indonesia than Australia, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands are out of sight and out of mind to most Australians, but they are the sites of some of our frontier wars, the places where our identity is laid bare in all its flawed complexity – and the places where there is time and space enough to ask: can we be better than this?

A travel narrative, a memoir and a thought-provoking look at Australia’s complicated history with Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the asylum seekers detained there.

312 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2023

Reviews

[Madelaine Dickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had a lot of time in north west WA and often my imagination and mind has drifted to the Cocos Islands and to Christmas Island. This is a brilliant personal history of both. Reneé, a poetry and English teacher, wrote this at huge risk to herself - especially the sections on Christmas Island, where she worked directly with refugees in the detention centre. I know it's a bit of a cliché to say that this book should be taught in all schools, but it really should. It opened my eyes to a part of Australian history that I was completely ignorant to, in a way that's warm, compelling, page-turning. 5 stars from me.

[Bec Gleeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a powerful, personal and evocative book. The author shares her experience in revisiting an incredibly remote part of Australia — both geographically and psychologically — where she spent time teaching asylum seeker children. She writes so beautifully about Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and even though she explores some profoundly difficult themes, I was still left with a sense of hope. Definitely recommend as a really impactful and insightful account of the recent history of these islands.

[Nicole Hodgson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written melding of memoir, interviews and some dark history of Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and the Cocos Malay community. The remarkable landscape of Christmas Island and Cocos Island is vividly evoked, which is a welcome relief to some of the brutal (but essential) parts of the story. This is an important part of Australia's history that has been mostly hidden away on these remote islands, and should be confronted by all of us.

[D'face · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very interesting to read about these islands, the author writes well although sometimes overdoing the descriptive adjectives. Let down at several points by proof reading errors. An interesting approach to link interviews with each island but I would have liked to learn more about her experience with the refugee programs on these islands.

[Susan Ffoulkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing. Not a comfortable read for an Australian.