Into That Forest (Louis Nowra, A&U)

Louis Nowra’s young-adult novel recreates a captivating time in Tasmanian history through the eyes of a unique narrator—a girl quite literally raised by animals. Lost and alone in the bush, Hannah and Becky are saved from starvation by the bizarre kindness of two Tasmanian tigers. As the girls unleash their own animalistic qualities, they discover that there is great peace and joy in this world where survival is the only law and family—however strange—is a constant. However, nothing can last forever and their new life is eventually challenged by the encroaching outside world—a world of poachers and loggers and whalers that threatens to destroy anything it does not understand. Well-researched and authentically told, the novel skilfully captures a world on the brink of change, whose people have altered the landscape irrevocably and are beginning to pay the price. Nowra paints a vibrant picture of Tasmania; one that will transport the reader to a time and place that no longer exists—where the wildlife resembles the mythical and it is still possible to be lost in unknown places. This is a great read for an older young-adult audience, particularly those with an interest in Australian history.

Meg Whelan works at Hill of Content Bookshop in Melbourne

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Category: Reviews