Jessie Street was a key public figure for 50 years-a pioneering Australian feminist, instrumental in setting up the UN, and the initiator of the 1967 amendment to the constitution that gave Aborigines basic rights. This autobiography was first published in 1967, and has been re-edited to eliminate inconsistencies and restore chronology.
Jessie Street was a key public figure for 50 years-a pioneering Australian feminist, instrumental in setting up the UN, and the initiator of the 1967 amendment to the constitution that gave Aborigines basic rights. This autobiography was first published in 1967, and has been re-edited to eliminate inconsistencies and restore chronology. It covers Jessie Street’s life up to the end of World War II, and is a fascinating first hand account of a world at war and a brain at work. Jessie Street was fired by a single idea-all people are equal. This idea emerges from the book as a simple, practical notion, and she writes of it simply and practically whether touring the USSR, India or the US. Stories about the difficulties of getting changed in a railway cabin shared with two Russian men, or a complex analysis of the economics of capitalism, are dealt with one after the other with equal humour and sensibility. One does what one has to-undresses in the toilet or overthrows capitalism, and then moves on to the next problem without making a fuss. This is an important reissue, written in an engaging style, and is recommended.
Peter Salmon is the editor of Readings Books and Music’s monthly newsletter
Stanley and Sophie by Kate Jennings A book to appeal to animal lovers, Stanley and Sophie is about one woman’s journey after the death of her husband and the two dogs that join her along the way. Australian-born Kate Jennings, the author, lives in New York and after her husband dies, she ends up giving a terrier called Stanley a home.18 March, 2008
Australian dames - new releases In April, HarperCollins will release Stella Miles Franklin: A Biography, by Jill Roe. Roe, who was recently named an Officer of the Order of Australia17 March, 2008
Slow Journey South by Paula Constant Australian Paula Constant has written a lifeaffirming, positive, inspiring and informative narrative of her emotional and physical journey to give up a teaching job in London and walk for three years with her husband23 February, 2008
Paper Cranes: A Mother’s Story of Courage and Determination by Cheryl Koenig This is the inspiring and uplifting story of the determination, dedication and sacrifice of a mother, and her unwavering quest to help her 12-year-old son, Jonathan, after he was hit by a car and left brain-damaged.23 February, 2008
Me, Myself and Prague by Rachael Weiss Weiss is marriage-less, childless and of Czech origin, so decides to abandon her life in Sydney and spend a year in Prague. She goes because there is nothing to stop her, but finds it isn’t as easy as she first thought.23 February, 2008
I Peed on Fellini by David Stratton David Stratton is a big name in cinema in Australia. As co-presenter of film review shows on the ABC and SBS, and with regular columns in The Australian, Stratton’s position as a first-grade reviewer is undeniable.23 February, 2008
Holding Up the Sky: An African Life by Sandy Blackburn-Wright South Africa was a tumultuous place at the end of apartheid. As a community aid worker in the townships, Sydneysider Sandy Blackburn-Wright was uniquely placed to observe the effects and after effects of apartheid and its demise.23 February, 2008
God of Speed by Luke Davies Howard Hughes was a man of huge ambitions: a perfectionist who directed the most expensive movie ever made; a mogul who bedded dozens of starlets; a pioneering aviator who insisted on test-piloting his own planes23 February, 2008
Pastures of the Blue Crane by Hesba Fay Brinsmead What a great idea to reissue this book, a favourite of many when first published in 1964, and one of the first CBCA winners with a teenager as the main character.2 February, 2007
Kostya by Tszyu With Kostya Zab Judah had a big mouth. And when he opened it, he couldn't help himself. Self-effacement wasn't a word in his vocabulary. But self-importance and self-promotion certainly were.2 February, 2007
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