A profound allegory of good and evil, this immersive novel set in the 1960s delves into the lengths we go to for love, focusing on a native Australian family threatened by a racist government. Odette Brown has lived on the fringes of Deane, a small Australian town, where dark secrets lurk—secrets that may explain her daughter Lila's abandonment of her one-year-old granddaughter, Sissy, and the mystery of Sissy's white skin in an Aboriginal family. For thirteen years, Odette has raised Sissy in secrecy, avoiding the attention of welfare authorities who remove fair-skinned Aboriginal children. However, the arrival of a new policeman with a harsh demeanor disrupts their fragile existence. Odette must summon all her courage and cunning to protect Sissy from being taken and perhaps even find her daughter. Together, Odette and Sissy embody resilience, confronting threats to their family and identities with grace and ingenuity. The narrative sheds light on Australia’s post-colonial past, particularly the government's policy of separating Indigenous children from their families, known as the Stolen Generations. Through a tight-knit group of inspiring characters, the story highlights our shared humanity and the limitless power of kindness, hope, and love.
