I liked the magical realism elements, which were minimal enough that they added to the story without detracting from the very difficult issues. And I really liked the way Lucashenko uses local dialect. There was so much I loved about this book, particularly the way Lucashenko weaved together Kerry’s culture and mythology, including animals as totems and the importance of land and family history. Be warned – this isn’t an easy book, and it shouldn’t be. Its characters endure slavery, rape, extreme violence, and children separated from their families. It’s about how abuse repeats itself over generations – it doesn’t just go away as we might like to think. It’s about what the white colonists stole from the natives, and about the many abuses that impact families to this day. Importantly, this is a book about race and history in Australia. Kerry is reminded how much she loves the land when it’s threatened by the local mayor’s plan to have the area developed and turned into a prison. Of course getting away from home won’t be so easy. She arrives in the small town of Durrongo on a stolen Harley, and she’s already trying to figure out how to get out as soon as possible. She left home years ago for Brisbane now she’s back because her grandfather is dying. Too Much Lip tells the story of Kerry Salter, a young woman who comes from the Bundjalung community. I was struck by the similarities in the history of Australia and the United States, though I felt Australia was much more open about its troubling treatment of Aboriginal populations. I love reading about Australia, ever since I traveled there in 2013.
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