Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray

River of Dreams

Anita Heiss

$22.99

Paperback

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English

Simon & Schuster
03 August 2022

Historical fiction; Australian Fiction

‘There are books you encounter as an adult that you wish you could press into the hands of your younger self. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is one of those books – a novel that turns Australia’s long-mythologised settler history into a raw and resilient heartsong.' – Guardian
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*WINNER 2022 NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD INDIGENOUS WRITER'S PRIZE
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*2022 ABIA SHORTLIST
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*2021 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE SHORTLIST
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*2022 STELLA PRIZE LONGLIST
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*2022 INDIE BOOK AWARDS LONGLIST
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*2022 VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS HIGHLY COMMENDED
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Gundagai, 1852

The powerful Murrumbidgee River surges through town leaving death and destruction in its wake. It is a stark reminder that while the river can give life, it can just as easily take it away.

Wagadhaany is one of the lucky ones. She survives. But is her life now better than the fate she escaped? Forced to move away from her miyagan, she walks through each day with no trace of dance in her step, her broken heart forever calling her back home to Gundagai.

When she meets Wiradyuri stockman Yindyamarra, Wagadhaany’s heart slowly begins to heal. But still, she dreams of a better life, away from the degradation of being owned. She longs to set out along the river of her ancestors, in search of lost family and country. Can she find the courage to defy the White man’s law? And if she does, will it bring hope ... or heartache?

Set on timeless Wiradyuri country, where the life-giving waters of the rivers can make or break dreams, and based on devastating true events, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) is an epic story of love, loss and belonging.

Praise for Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams)

'Heiss fuses fiction with realism, conjuring a resonance still felt in Blak struggle today ... packs heart into every page.' – Saturday Paper

'Tells a powerful and affecting tale of Aboriginal people's identity, community and deep connection to country.’ – Canberra Times

'A profoundly moving showcase of Heiss’ skill ... Intimate, reflective, and impossible to put down.’ – AU Review

‘Engrossing and wonderful storytelling. I really loved these strong, brave Wiradyuri characters.’ – Melissa Lucashenko

‘A powerful story of family, place and belonging.’ – Kate Grenville

‘A remarkable story of courage and a love of country ... Anita Heiss writes with heart and energy on every page.’ – Tony Birch

'It is a love story, a story of loss, a hopeful story. The river is a guide, but you have to be open to its spiritual lessons.' – Terri Janke

‘Anita Heiss is at the height of her storytelling powers in this inspiring, heart-breaking, profound tale.’ – Larissa Behrendt

'The novel flows like the great Murrumbidgee River itself, with powerful undercurrents that sweep the reader along - I feel it's a book that all Australians should read, to try and understand why our colonial past still causes so much pain and grievance.’ – Kate Forsyth

By: Anita Heiss
Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 128mm,
ISBN: 9781761104800
ISBN 10: 1761104802
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 03 August 2022
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Dr Anita Heiss is an award-winning author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women's fiction, children's novels and blogs. She is a proud member of the Wiradjuri Nation of central New South Wales, an Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, the GO Foundation and Worawa Aboriginal College. Anita is a board member of University of Queensland Press and Circa Contemporary Circus, and is a Professor of Communications at the University of Queensland. As an artist in residence at La Boite Theatre in 2020, Anita began adapting her novel Tiddas (S&S, 2014) for the stage. Her novel Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms (S&S, 2016) set in Cowra during World War II, was the 2020 University of Canberra Book of the Year. Anita enjoys eating chocolate, running and being a 'creative disruptor'.

Reviews for Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray: River of Dreams

'There are books you encounter as an adult that you wish you could press into the hands of your younger self. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is one of those books - a novel that turns Australia's long-mythologised settler history into a raw and resilient heartsong.' -- The Guardian 'A heartfelt story of colonisation and its negative effects ... A powerful and affecting tale of Aboriginal people's identity, community and deep connection to country.' -- Canberra Times 'Heiss fuses fiction with realism, conjuring a resonance still felt in Blak struggle today ... packs heart into every page.' -- Saturday Paper 'Celebrating family, love, and connection to the land, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is a profoundly moving showcase of Heiss' skill for crafting stories and relationships ... A novel that is intimate, reflective, and impossible to put down.' -- The AU Review 'A powerful story of family, place and belonging.' -- Kate Grenville, author of A Room Made of Leaves 'Engrossing and wonderful storytelling. I really loved these strong, brave Wiradyuri characters.' -- Melissa Lucashenko, author of Too Much Lip 'A remarkable story of courage and a love of country ... Anita Heiss writes with heart and energy on every page of this novel.' -- Tony Birch, author of The White Girl 'It is a love story, a story of loss, a hopeful story. The river is a guide, but you have to be open to its spiritual lessons.' -- Dr Terri Janke 'Lyrical and tender, Anita Heiss's Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray tells a story of courage, connection and belonging which is both universal and deeply personal, with the river singing through every page. A grand achievement and destined to be read for a long time to come.' -- Meg Keneally, author of Fled and The Wreck. 'Epic storytelling with a deep warmth at its heart ... This story will stay with me forever.' -- Pamela Hart, author of The Charleston Scandal 'Anita Heiss is at the height of her storytelling powers in this inspiring, heart-breaking, profound tale.' -- Larissa Behrendt 'The novel flows like the great Murrumbidgee River itself, with powerful undercurrents that sweep the reader along - I feel it's a book that all Australians should read, to try and understand why our colonial past still causes so much pain and grievance.' -- Kate Forsyth, author of The Blue Rose 'Anita Heiss is an incredibly masterful stroyteller; weaving song, language and history into an epic tale of love, loss and belonging ... my favourite of Heiss' novels!' -- Better Read than Dead 'Far more relevant than a library bulging with Greenes and Hemmingways, Heiss's book is as pulsing as the river that runs through it ... A romance, a history lesson, a language study and a rollicking read all in one.' * Courier Mail *