LitPick Review
Beth Teller, dead after an automobile accident, sticks around to help her grieving father. She hopes an investigation is just what he needs to distract him from mourning. Detective Michael Telling can see and hear his daughter, and she is determined to help him reconnect with the world of the living. A home for troubled children burns down, and the discovery of a dead body makes it a homicide. The detective and his daughter go to the hospital to interview a witness, Isobel Catching. They discover that she is an aboriginal like Beth and her mother. To Beth's surprise, Isobel can see and hear her too. Isobel says that she will have to tell them a long story that does not begin with the fire and that they will probably not believe her. Isobel talks in riddles about family, colors, and dreadful things, and it is up to the detective to make the connections. After the discovery of two more dead bodies and the knowledge of missing teens, the detective begins putting the pieces together. He begins to understand the meaning of Isobel’s horrific story as well as his own.
Opinion:
"Small towns are like lakes - they have their secrets." The Kwaymullinas use their storytelling abilities to incorporate their Palyku beliefs and cultures into a multidimensional world that has more than one story to tell. It is a mystery that brings about the knowledge of the stolen generations of indigenous children. It is a ghost story that involves reincarnation and the idea that everything has life. It is a story about family strength and overcoming grief and moving on. It is a story about connections. The Kwaymullinas' unique storytelling doesn't state the facts but engages the reader's imagination to solve the riddles and figure out the stories on their own.
This book is well-crafted and a great read, especially for those who like to figure things out. The story inspired me to learn more about the aboriginal people and the missing generations of the nineteenth century.
