Worlds Within a World (ed Casey Mulder, Fremantle)

In Worlds Within a World, Carol Foley, Deborah Green, Barb Hostalek, Lois May and Valerie Swift – 5 First Nations women – reflect on the experiences and relationships that have shaped their lives. The anthology recalls Black Inc.’s Growing Up series, though with fewer contributors, allowing for longer pieces. As in that series, individual stories reveal commonalities within a particular context; here, First Nations women navigate life across two cultural worlds. For some, this means exploring the repercussions of childhood removal from families and communities. For others, it means reflecting on childhoods grounded in meaningful cultural belonging, often juxtaposed with poverty and disadvantage and shaped by Welfare interventions. This is not always an easy read, partly because of the deep trauma and sorrow examined, and partly because readers may need to waive expectations about the conventions and rhythms of memoir. Some contributors are academics, educators or writers, while others are sharing their stories in written form for the first time. The collection asks readers to sit with these voices and to listen openly. These women are not here to reassure readers of triumphs over adversity, to expose horrors of assimilation policies, or to advocate for overcoming racism in this country, although the collection does all this. Rather, they are here to tell their stories on their own terms. Alongside profound grief – arising from colonisation and dispossession from Country – there is also hope, as well as a strong sense of compassion and connection. Through editor Casey Mulder’s careful structuring, Worlds Within a World ultimately leaves an impression of resilience, passion and cultural strength.

Note: Welfare is the term used by numerous contributors in the book and, therefore, is the term that has been used in the review.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Anica Boulanger-Mashberg is a freelance editor and writer, and a bookseller at the Hobart Bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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