Thicker Than Water by Cal Flyn

Part history and part travelogue, this is a great read for anyone interested in Australian history, the Aboriginal people and the effects of 19th century colonialism on the indigenous population.

The discovery of a family link to Scottish pioneer Angus McMillan leads the author on a journey through Australia to retrace his steps and try to understand how her ancestor could be capable of leading massacres of the Gunai people in Gippsland. The book switches back and forth between the events of the 1800s and her present day journey, thoughts and experiences.

Flyn confronts these issues in a bold new way, she conducts potentially uncomfortable interviews, trains as a cattle station hand (a jilaroo) in blistering heat, hikes on overgrown trails and visits massacre sites to uncover this bloody and brutal history which still informs debate and shapes the lives of many in present day Australia.

Sara

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