Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is a 2021 historical novel by Anita Heiss. Set around the time of Gundagai's flood of 1852, it concerns the life of a young Wiradjuri woman, Wagadhaany, the daughter of Yarri, and her relationships with her colonial masters, and her people who live near Murrumbidya.
 First edition | |
| Author | Anita Heiss |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Published | 2021 (Simon & Schuster) |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 393 |
| ISBN | 9781760850449 |
| OCLC | 1236159774 |
Reception
editA review in Australian Book Review of Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray wrote "With its strong emotional pull and its accessible female hero, this novel deserves wide appeal.".[1] A reviewer for Guardian Australia called it "a novel of the myopia and cruelty of “good” intentions." and "a joyful love story, and a literary celebration of the Wiradyuri language, which is woven throughout."[2]
Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray has also been reviewed by The Sydney Morning Herald,[3] The West Australian,[4] Books+Publishing,[5] The Canberra Times,[6] LSJ,[7] and The Saturday Paper.[8]
References
edit- ^ Jane Sullivan (June 2021). "River of Dreams". Australian Book Review. No. 432. Australian Book Review Inc. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ Beejay Silcox (21 May 2021). "Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss review – a mighty and generous heartsong". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ Cameron Woodhead (11 June 2021). "Fiction reviews: Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray and other titles (subscription required)". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ Gemma Nisbet (22 May 2021). "Book review: Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss marries romance with love of country (subscription required)". The West Australian. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ Joanne Shiells (24 March 2021). "Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) (Anita Heiss, S&S)". booksandpublishing.com.au. Books+Publishing. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
Exploring themes of family, belonging, courage, equality and heartache, this important new historical novel from Anita Heiss raises awareness of First Nations perspectives on the early days of white settlement and helps to protect a language.
- ^ Alison Booth (8 May 2021). "Anita Heiss' Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is an affecting tale of Aboriginal identity and dispossession". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
Essentially River of Dreams is a heartfelt story of colonisation and its negative effects. It is a story of tragic dispossession as Aboriginal kinship groups are displaced, increasingly driven off their land, and eventually corralled into reserves.
- ^ Amy Dale (2 July 2021). "Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray". LSJ. Law Society of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
A poetic and lyrically joyful work...
- ^ "Anita Heiss Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (subscription required)". The Saturday Paper. Schwartz Publishing. 14 September 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2021.