Two Hands Together
Diana Kidd

Penguin 2000
160pp. pbk., $14.95

014130748X

 

 This story, by Diana Kidd, is about two families - one white, one Aboriginal - who live next door to each other. The main characters are Lili, who’s from the white family and Ella, who’s from the Aboriginal family. Together they form a relationship as best friends. However, when Lili’s dad sees Ella and realises that she is Aboriginal, he tells her not to get involved with their next-door neighbours. The other characters are Jake (Lili’s younger brother) , Danny (younger brother of Ella), Aunt Macey, Uncle and Lili’s parents.

Lili and Ella’s relationship started when Jake kicked a football over the fence in to Ella’s place and he climbed over to get it. Then, one evening when Lili was writing ghost stories on her balcony, Ella climbed over the fence and in to Lili’s dad’s garden to ask if she wanted to see her new puppy. So Lili and Jake went over and they all became good friends, until Lili’s dad won’t let them all be together, because he doesn’t like Aborigines. Lili feels as though she hates her father for this.

Later on in the story, the puppy falls in to a creek in the park and Jake comes to the rescue. However, after he climbs in to get the puppy, a tree traps his foot and he can’t get out. Ella discover them, and goes to get help from her uncle. He rescues both Jake and the puppy to safety. In the end, because Ella’s uncle rescued Jake, Lili’s father realises he has made a big mistake in disliking the other family, just because they are Aboriginal. He and his wife make friends with Ella’s family and the two girls can be together again.

Sarah, 11 years old, Sydney