My Story: Who Am I?
The diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937

Anita Heiss

A Scholastic Press Book 2001

174p pbk $15.95

ISBN: 1-86504-361-3

This was sad, and a reality check. Although fictional, Who Am I, was factually based on the White Australia Policy in the 1930’s and the discrimination that the Indigenous Australians suffered from white Australians. It was a confronting story of a young Aboriginal girl called Mary (Amy) who was taken from her family at an early age then moved into a home, then adopted to be ‘assimilated’ into white society. It is written in the form of a diary, so it’s easy to read and we can get an inside look into what Mary is thinking and feeling. The diary entries account for her distressing move from the home to the white family, and the daily events of life that she faced being the only Aboriginal child at school. Her loneliness and confusion force her to question why she was uprooted from her family and why she has less rights than non-indigenous Australians and is treated so badly. The search for identity and a place to belong is a big issue in this novel and when Mary meets another Aboriginal person she starts to learn that she deserves basic rights too, and she begins to realise that she should accept that she is Aboriginal and be proud.

Reading this book reminded me of the harsh reality that many Indigenous Australian children faced less than 60 years ago, and the need for ongoing reconciliation. It was a good novel, although sometimes I wasn’t intrigued and I found it a bit repetitive. Apart from that it was enjoyable reading and very informative. It was written well and is good for people interested in learning about the White Australia Policy and what it must have been like for Aboriginal children being ripped away from their families. 8 out of 10

Suzi, Year 9, Canberra, ACT

This is the story of a Aboriginal girl, aged 10 years old, named Mary Talence, who lived in Sydney in 1937.

Mary’s story is told by her diary entries.  She begins her story in Bombaderry home for Aboriginal children, which is where she has lived since she was five years old.  Before she lived at the home, she used to live with her Mum, Dad and lots of brothers and sisters.  She also had a best friend named Marj. In her diaries she writes about missing her mother, and wonders why her mother doesn’t visit her.

Soon after Mary starts her diary entries, she writes about how she was fostered out to a white family. Mary finds it very hard to adapt into the white society that she is living in. 

Mary is repeatedly told that to be an aborigine is bad and that she must forget her past.  Mary doesn’t understand why this is so.

The book follows the era of the stolen generation and is told in first person format.  It gives us an idea of what emotional effects this era had on the children.

This book would appeal to ages 10 and up.

My personal opinion is that it was a bit boring to me, but for those who enjoy reading about this type of stuff, they would enjoy it.  

Justin, aged 13, Canberra, ACT