Not Quite White in the Head (Melissa Lucashenko, UQP)

Melissa Lucashenko’s Not Quite White in the Head shines a light on the beauty and pain that exist simultaneously in Australia as a colonised nation. Spanning 20 pieces, the book moves from Lucashenko’s reflections on her writing, such as her award-winning novel Edenglassie, to her interviews with Aboriginal women speaking candidly about their experiences of domestic violence. Though many essays were first delivered as keynote addresses or published elsewhere, they sit together for the first time in this expertly curated collection. Heavy themes, including deaths in custody, domestic violence and incarceration, are interwoven with sharp wit, ironic humour and Lucashenko’s unrelenting joy in being Aboriginal. The result is an unflinching work that entertains and engages while also educating. Lucashenko (Too Much Lip) is a wonderful storyteller, writing about harrowing subjects with such earnestness and humanity that the reader cannot look away from the harsh truths of violence, dispossession and racism. Her voice is strong throughout, with an intimacy that feels like sitting across from her at a dinner table. Not Quite White in the Head is an insightful and essential read for anyone living on unceded First Nations land. It will especially appeal to readers who enjoyed the moving storytelling of Maxine Beneba Clarke’s The Hate Race or the sharp humour of Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things to Me.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Tierney Khan is a writer based in Naarm and an avid reader. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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