Darnmoor, The Gateway to Happiness. The sign taunts a fool into feeling some sense of achievement, some kind of end- that you have reached a destination in the very least. Yet as the sign states, Darnmoor is merely a gateway, a waypoint on the road to where you really want to be.
Darnmoor is the home of the Billymil family, three generations who have lived in this 'gateway town'. Race relations between Indigenous and settler families are fraught, though the rigid status quo is upheld through threats and soft power rather than the overt violence of yesteryear.
As progress marches forwards, Darnmoor and its surrounds undergo rapid social and environmental changes, but as some things change, some stay exactly the same. The Billymil family are watched (and sometimes visited) by ancestral spirits and spirits of the recently deceased, who look out for their descendants and attempt to help them on the right path.
When the town's secrets start to be uncovered the town will be rocked by a violent act that forever shatters a century of silence.
Full of music, Yuwaalaraay language and exquisite description, Song of the Crocodile is a lament to choice and change, and the unyielding land that sustains us all, if only we could listen to it.
A phenomenal review from a talented writer
Nardi Simpson's debut novel is elegiac, evocative and mystical, its narrative skilfully interwoven with its Yuwaalaraay country setting, exploring layers of significance in the river plain landscape.
Song of the Crocodile is a multi-generational epic following the experiences of the extended Billymil family, as their ancestor spirits watch over them, their surrounding landscape internalising their memories, both happy and sorrowful.
This is a book is not a quick read, but warrants slower absorption and reflection. I still feel like a lot went way over my head, and intend to return to read it a second time before too long.
It’s a moving and evocative novel, with lyrical prose and well-developed indigenous characters. The frequent use of Yuwaalaraay language and the extensive incorporation of local folklore added complexity to the narrative, adding mystery, magic and fatalism to the story. I'm expecting to see it feature in many awards lists over coming months.
Trigger warnings: child sexual abuse, frequent depictions of racism, violence
My thanks to the author, Nardi Simpson, publisher Hachette Australia and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this wonderful book prior to its publication on 29 September 2020.
Sarah, 30/10/2020
