Tyree Barnette and his wife moved to Australia in 2013 from North Carolina, USA. Barnette wrote Stolen Man on Stolen Land over five years, observing the day-to-day of almost everything from the unbearably hot daily Sydney temperatures, political life under a new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (compared to Trump), respect for black citizens and the Indigenous experience, food and eating out, the cost of going to the doctor and the nature of gun ownership, firearms, law enforcement and protest marches.

The regular, conversational anecdotes of life in Sydney are engaging, especially when combined with memories and flashbacks of life in the USA. The book feels like a collegial chat. Both low-key and highly charged topics are introduced and explored, then tumble, combine and overlap to progress the story.

I loved the regular and specific Sydney landmarks, institutions and places that punctuate the book. I particularly liked reading perspectives on Australian barbecues, brutalist architecture, Indigenous cultural practices at Macquarie University and tales from suburbs including Surry Hills, North Ryde, Chatswood and Dulwich Hill. Amusing is the observation of the noise emitted by the pedestrian walk signal comparing it to ‘woodpeckers frantically tapping on tree trunks’.

This is a personal snapshot of one man’s lived experience. It offers valuable new insights into the Australian experience and contributes to ongoing local discussions on authenticity, belonging, identity, race and culture.

Reviewed by Mark Parry

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tyree Barnette is a transplant to Sydney, originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. He moved to Sydney with his partner in 2013. Since then, they have grown their family with two boys. Tyree’s day job is working in student services at Western Sydney University. Additionally, Tyree is a member of the Sweatshop Literacy Movement, where he has written numerous pieces for SBS Voices and contributed to anthologies such as Love, This Little Red Thing and Racism: Stories on Fear, Hate and Bigotry. Tyree most enjoys writing about his experience as an African American in Australia and spending time with his two amazing boys.

Follow Tyree Barnette on Instagram here.

Read more on the Simon & Schuster website here.