Lee and Victoria weren’t the only ones to love Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss… Here is what the QBD crew thought:
Bringing powerful indigenous stories to the forefront, Anita Heiss has created a story of love, family, place and belonging. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) is based on devastating true events when the powerful Murrumbidgee River surged through the town leaving destruction. The story focussed on how the river can make or break dreams, and as the river can give life it can just as easily take it away.
A lucky survivor, Wagadhaany, is forced to move away from her miyagan with a broken heart that keeps calling her back home the Gundagai. Then she meets Yindyamarra and slowly her heart starts to heal. She sets out along the river for her lost family, ancestors and country, finding the strength and courage to defy the White man’s law.
With painted descriptive landscapes and use of native tongue, Anita Heiss has created a masterpiece Australian novel.
