Heart of the Grass Tree by Molly Murn

Written in a poetic, song-like voice, Heart of the Grass Tree jumps between narratives and switches back and forth between centuries. It tells the story of Kangaroo Island’s early history, weaving beautifully between past and present, courageously breaching the borders of culture and the shame of the past, to tell an important, magnificent story. I kept thinking how much the book was like a piece of written art. It’s light, but sad and contemplative. It can be hard to follow, but getting lost in the story is enjoyable, so I didn’t mind so much. If it were a painting, it would be the sort of painting that one just can’t look away from. It’s gripping and confronting. It’s raw, human, and close.

The book centres around four women; Nell, her daughter Diana, and granddaughters Pearl and Lucy. The beginning opens with Nell’s story. It then moves into the past and weaves a historical narrative focusing on the early European settlers, the Ngarrindjeri people and the contact and interactions made between these two groups. As the story moves along Diana, Pearl, and Lucy find themselves grieving the death of Nell and each must come to accept it in their own way.   

Generational tenderness, motherhood, family roots, strength and ‘tribe’ are just a few of the themes that present themselves in an aura of colour. This book taught me something–it taught me something about what it is to be a woman, and the importance of family. It taught me about life and the importance of connection to land and its history. It taught me about people; it’s a story very much based around the idea of being human and living alongside one another. It’s always a joy to finish a book having learnt so much. I’m glad for books like Heart of the Grass Tree because they challenge me. They keep me humble and searching, which is important, because one must continue to search and be humble to keep learning. It showed me how tough and resilient and beautiful people can be. I was changed after reading it, and I kept going back to it in my thoughts. Heart of the Grass Tree pushed me out of my comfort zone and took me to places I’d never been before.