Grace beside me by Sue McPherson
Magabala Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921248498
(Age: 15 +) Highly recommended. This is the first novel from Sue
McPherson, winner of the inaugural 'black and write!' Indigenous
Writing Fellowship. The narrator is Fuzzy, a young girl with
indigenous heritage, who is living with her grandparents in a small
Australian country town. Fuzzy tells us that she and her
grandparents 'all love stories' and that she is 'a guardian of
stories'. In fact, this book reads less like a traditional novel
with a beginning, a middle and an end and more like a series of
vignettes. It is as if the reader is sitting down over a cuppa while
Fuzzy regales us with stories about the life and characters of her
country community.
Some of these characters are larger than life (like her neighbour,
Yar, who has a penchant for gardening in his purple tutu), some of
them are funny (like Father John who always seems to be in a spin)
and some of them are decidedly sleazy (like Mr Ridgeway). The sense
of storytelling is particularly evident in Fuzzy's use of a
straightforward and chatty style which is frequently peppered with
old fashioned Aussie slang: 'two bob's worth', 'we're buggered', 'I
reckon' and 'bloody oath'.
Interestingly, despite the teenaged narrator, the focus of the story
is less about teenagers and more about family; in particular,
Fuzzy's Nan, a woman with strong views and a forthright approach to
life. It is Nan's saying 'with Grace beside me' that provides the
title of the novel and a common core to the stories, as Fuzzy learns
how this refrain not only provides solace when faced with life's
rough patches, it can also provide her with a way forward.
Fuzzy claims that 'stories link us to our mob' and Sue McPherson's
book demonstrates this beautifully. It provides a glimpse into the
stories of both a community and a nation, with special mention of
Anzac Day and Sorry Day. However, what emerges most strongly of all
in this book is the importance of family to Fuzzy's mob and the
power of story.
Deborah Marshall