Kay Crabbe

Reviewed for VPRC. Mmm. Tricky one. I liked the story but thought the delivery was laboured. Sario is a Torres Strait Islander who wants to run his own pearl shell boat but is hampered by his mother's illness and his position in the world. Set in the lat 19th century when Pearling was big in the top end of Australia, I found the book tedious in the story telling - yes , he is on the lowest rung of the social ladder but please, the short clipped sentences in the book when he thinks (like he doesn't understand English) belittle the main character and all his tribe. Basically this is a book about how T. I. islanders were drawn to the white man's world to gain wealth. In Sario's case it is for his mother who has damaged lungs and needs expensive medical care to help her. I did not understand the Sario versus Japanese diver construct - it seemed almost one dimensional and racist and read like it was not true. I can't see students being drawn to this book - there are others who have told the story better… (altro)