She and Her Pretty Friend (Danielle Scrimshaw, Ultimo)

Danielle Scrimshaw’s debut, She and Her Pretty Friend, is a history of queer Australian women. In a light and intriguing tone, Scrimshaw pieces together what little evidence there is—letters, diary entries, notes from biographies—to create a comprehensive timeline since colonisation of LGBTQIA+ people’s existence in Australia, with one early chapter acknowledging First Nations People’s place in queer history and the devastating effects of colonialism. We’re shown relationships between suffragettes, convict women and poultry farmers. We’re shown newspaper clippings with bizarre language used to describe those who were caught—‘wretches in human form’—as well as those who weren’t—‘lived like sisters’. As we move through the 19th century and into the 20th, we learn about the first queer bar in Australia, the 1970s lesbian movement and a two-week protest in the 80s. The author is careful to note that while we can draw conclusions about the nature of relationships from the past, we can never really know the details. And what’s more, we can never know how these women would have identified had they been able to access modern language and concepts of sexuality, gender and identity. She and Her Pretty Friend is another a piece of the puzzle that is unearthing women’s stories from the past. It’s a beautifully told history for readers who enjoyed You Daughters of Freedom by Clare Wright and An Unconventional Wife by Mary Hoban.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Danielle Bagnato is a book reviewer and marketing and communications professional. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews