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That Deadman Dance
That Deadman Dance: A Novel | Kim Scott
Set in Western Australia in the first decades of the nineteenth century, That Deadman Dance is a vast, gorgeous novel about the first contact between the Aboriginal Noongar people and the new European settlers. Bobby Wabalanginy is a young Noongar man, smart, resourceful, and eager to please. He befriends the European arrivals, joining them as they hunt whales, till the land, and establish their new colony. He is welcomed into a prosperous white family, and eventually finds himself falling in love with the daughter, Christine. But slowly-by design and by hazard-things begin to change. Not everyone is happy with how the colony is progressing. Livestock mysteriously start to disappear, crops are destroyed, there are "accidents" and injuries on both sides. As the Europeans impose ever-stricter rules and regulations in order to keep the peace, Bobby's Elders decide they must respond in kind, and Bobby is forced to take sides, inexorably drawn into a series of events that will forever change the future of his country. That Deadman Dance is inevitably tragic, as most stories of European and native contact are. But through Bobby's life, Kim Scott exuberantly explores a moment in time when things could have been different, when black and white lived together in amazement rather than fear of the other, and when the world seemed suddenly twice as large and twice as promising. At once celebratory and heartbreaking, this novel is a unique and important contribution to the literature of native experience.
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blurb
MrsMalaprop
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Went for a walk this morning to drop a couple of books off at a local little free library. Unexpectedly found a copy of this gem that I have read and loved but for some reason didn‘t have a copy of 🤔.
Then I spotted these gorgeous cygnets with their parents on the river‘s edge 😍👏. Winning 😊.
#ozfiction #indigenousfiction

Texreader Sounds like an awesome day!! 4y
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
andrew61
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Pickpick

Btwn 1826 and 1844 this book shows how a small outpost of colonial w Australia develops from the view of the native population. In 1826 the Brits befriend them and treat them equally as they need their help, by 1844 the gvnor wants to sort the native problem by 'whatever means expedient '. The author has an aboriginal father and this bk drew me into the world.an excellent tale beautifully told with memorable characters telling an important story

MrsMalaprop Great book. He has a new one I need to get my hands on 6y
andrew61 @MrsMalaprop I wasn't aware of him until i heard him on a podcast - i will look out for that- thanks 6y
30 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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andrew61
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This is my weekend reading and 60 pages in i think it is going to be a corker as we view the British colonisation of Australia from the eyes of a young native Bobby wabalaginy from the Noongar tribe in the early 19th century. Appropriately Aus are playing England in rugby league world cup final this morning.

saresmoore Ha! That‘s a fun juxtaposition. 6y
Andrew65 And losing! 6y
andrew61 @Andrew65 not sure if i jinxed it having a book about such a theme near the tv! 6y
Andrew65 @andrew61 I think England are good enough at jinxing themselves without anyone else‘s help. We are great also rans or almost people. Although been a successful year for the Women‘s cricket team (what role models) and the under 17 and under 19 men‘s football teams. 6y
andrew61 @Andrew65 yes and i dread the football world cup every four years! 6y
22 likes5 comments
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Marchpane
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#junebookbugs #indigenousauthors

Two of these books by Australian indigenous authors are still on my TBR (My Place and That Deadman Dance). The others are all AMAZING and highly recommended.

Mullumbimby is a heartfelt 'finding home' novel, Ashala Wolf is a cool dystopian YA, Ruby Moonlight is a moving novel in verse poetry, and Dark Emu is nonfic about indigenous agriculture.

Fernoppy I loved Mullumbimby. Ashala Wolf was great. We read My Place for high school English. That Deadman Dance is on my shelf waiting to be read. Love the cover of Dark Emu and don't think I've heard of the other one. Woot! More great Aussie books to read! 7y
MrsMalaprop The only two I have read are the only two you haven't 😊. Need to read Mullumbimby soon. 7y
Sue Melissa Lucashenko was at Anita Heiss' book launch, but she shot through so fast I didn't get to tell her how much I loved Mullumbimby. (Damn state of Origin!) 7y
Marchpane @sue ahh, that's a shame! But very cool that she was there (and let's not mention game one, hey?) 7y
109 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Sue
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When I'm reading, I will often try to pair my book with related music. Tonight's #bookntoons selection is That Deadman Dance by Aboriginal author Kim Scott and music from the Warumpi Band.

MrsMalaprop 👏❤ 7y
LeeRHarry Top choice! 7y
shawnmooney This sounds interesting! Are you enjoying it? 7y
Sue @shawnmooney I finished it the following day :) Yes, I enjoyed it. The style was a bit scattered in the beginning, but it is good once it settles down. It gives an important point of view to settlement. 7y
shawnmooney Thank you! I will check it out! 7y
71 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Soscha

This will be an educational + cathartic read after Lure of the Bush. I'm also open to suggestions on further books by aboriginal authors.

6 likes2 stack adds