Drawn from Henry Lawson’s short story, this tale has been woven into Leah Purcell’s life since she was five. Her reimagining of The Drover’s Wife first took shape on stage, before evolving into a film and, later, a novel. Now we follow the story of Danny, the drover’s son.
It’s 1893 and we in Australia’s beautiful Alpine country. A little boy is with his family. He is the oldest of the children. He is preparing to take his brothers and sister to town to stay. Their dad is away working, for which the boy is grateful, and has been for months. Their mother is heavily pregnant and due to give birth. All the children want a baby sister.
The four children climb up on their horse, Faithful. One behind the other, with our little boy holding the reins. Soon he will be 12 and could be off working with his da droving.
When the children arrive back home, he rushes to find out if he has a baby sister. His ma holds the bundle, but she is solemn, rocking back and forth.
As the boy stands by the grave of the little sister who dies in childbirth, he takes the small wooden cross from the black man and stakes it into the ground. He doesn’t know who the black man is. ‘He’s helping us for now, but keep your distance,’ his mother tells him. When the black man goes off into the scrub, the boy follows him.
Through campfire chats, Yadaka shares his stories with Danny. He teaches him morals and helps him to learn about the importance of connection to Country. He begins to understand manhood, his responsibilty to family, the land and animals. His eyes are opened to another way, without racism and violence.
This is an important book. It teaches us not only the lessons that Danny learned, but also helps us understand the careful stewardship, that Indigenous people have for the land and their community. Beautifully done.
Reviewed by Jane Stephens
Age Guide 8 +
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leah Purcell AM is a proud Goa, Gunggari, Wakka Wakka Murri woman from Queensland.
She is a playwright, actor, director, filmmaker, producer, screenwriter and author. At the heart of her work are female and First Nations themes, characters and issues. In 2021, she received a Member of The Order of Australia (AM) for her service to performing arts, First Nations youth and culture, and to women.
The Drover’s Wife was originally an award-winning play, written by and starring Purcell, based on the Henry Lawson short story. She was the lead actor, writer, director and a producer of the acclaimed feature film adaptation, The Drover’s Wife: The Legend Of Molly Johnson. Her bestselling and award-winning novel, The Drover’s Wife, was released in 2019.
Dub Leffler is a proud Bigambul man. In a career spanning twenty-five years, he has written and illustrated over thirty books for children and taught workshops in over 300 schools nationally and overseas. He has earned many shortlistings and won multiple awards along the way, including the CBCA’s Book of the Year in 2019 for the seminal work Sorry Day (with Coral Vass).
He has collaborated with other artists, including Banksy, Shaun Tan and Quentin Blake to name a few. Celebrated internationally, Dub’s illustrations have featured at The Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy and his work is held in permanent collections around the globe, including The Library of Congress in the US.
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