Books I Love - Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
From the back of the book:
Nothing’s been the same for Beth Teller since she died.
Her dad, a detective, is the only one who can see and hear her – and he’s drowning in grief. But now they have a mystery to solve together Who is Isobel Catching, and what’s her connection to the fire that killed a man? What happened to the people who haven’t been seen since the fire? As Beth unravels the mystery, she finds a shocking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another.
Told in two unforgettable voices, this gripping novel weaves together the themes of grief, colonial history, violence, love and family.
This amazing YA novel by sister and brother, Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina is a moving read that combines story and poetry in a compelling mystery. The pain, violence and heartbreak that underlies modern Australia is laid bare and, as the authors say “…the story begins, ends, and begins again with what always lay at the core of this tale: the enduring strength of Aboriginal women and girls.”
This story is not just a story about a crime. It is a ghost story and a story about the power of family.
According to the author bio on Allen and Unwin’s Catching Teller Crow page:
“Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina are a brother-sister team of Aboriginal writers who come from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. They’ve worked together on a number of short novels and picture books. Catching Teller Crow is their first joint young adult novel. They believe in the power of storytelling to created a more just world.”
I have read and re-read this book and have loved it each time. The story through Beth’s eyes is sad and heartwarming at the same time – she just wants the family she left behind to be ok. And Catching’s story, told through verse, is enthralling and brutal and beautiful all at once.
I truly love this book and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
You can find the award-winning Catching Teller Crow, here.