Proud Australians are telling #mybonegillastory

In the Starts at 60 Book Club, there has been a great amount of conversation about a new release The Last of the Bonegilla Girls, by Victoria Purman.

John Reid wrote a review for us and also illustrated his comments in the book club with some photos he took during a visit to Bonegilla Migrant Camp – read John’s review here. Many people commented in John’s review:

• Fran said “I loved this book. Couldn’t put it down. It had me laughing and crying. It made me angry and sad and happy.”
• Karen J said “… What I really enjoyed was that it intimately followed the girls own stories as they grew from teenagers to women. We read of their encounters with racism, ignorance, their struggles with language and their often humorous take on Australian culture. … “
• ” … Underneath it all though is the tribute to the post-war migrants, their personal courage and significant contribution to Australia. …” – Vivienne
• “…  I love how the author developed each character and there were some unexpected surprises. Especially with Frances!!!! I struggled with the racist aspect of it but understand that’s how it was back then. …” – Karen P
• Karyn G wondered “… How much strength would you need to pack up your life and leave your entire extended family to start a new life in a new foreign country one where you don’t even know the language?”
• ” … This is a must read and a great account of the realities that faced migrants. Great insight from a skilful story writer …” Lorraine
• Jeni who recently moved to Yackandandah only 20 minutes distance from Bonegilla remarked  ” … On recent walks around town I’ve come across many references to the camp including this one spotted yesterday. Quite amazing really when three months ago I hadn’t even heard of the place! …”

We are very fortunate to have a firsthand reminiscence from Doris Schmid which also prompted many others to tell their story about their immigration experience. Read Doris’ story here.

See what is prompting these comments for yourself. With the kind permission of HQ Fiction, you can read an extract from The Last of The Bonegilla Girls, by Victoria Purman.