The sister’s memoirs are told separately - Ngarta’s is titled a Desert Tragedy, while Jukuna’s is My Life in the Desert - and there are short chapters, by Pat Lowe (who edited the stories) and Eirlys Richards (who translated them from the Walmajarri language), explaining how the book came into being and putting the sister’s lives into context. Originally published by Fremantle Press in 2004, it has since been reissued by Magabala Books and comprises several different parts. It’s also a fascinating and eye-opening portrait of the desert people’s way of life in the 1950s and early 60s and how the coming of the vast cattle stations changed everything. Two Sisters: Ngarta and Jukuna is a brilliantly evocative autobiography of two aboriginal sisters. I decided to make a point of reading some indigenous writing instead. Today is Australia Day, an occasion I haven’t celebrated for 21 years because I’ve lived abroad, but now I’m back home I don’t much feel like picking up the baton, mainly because I think the day disrespects and is hurtful to the First Nations people of this country. Non-fiction – paperback Magabala Books 127 pages 2016.
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