Mullumbimby cover art

Mullumbimby

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About this listen

When Jo Breen uses her divorce settlement to buy a neglected property in the Byron Bay hinterland, she is hoping for a tree change, and a blossoming connection to the land of her Aboriginal ancestors. What she discovers instead is sharp dissent from her teenage daughter, trouble brewing from unimpressed white neighbours and a looming Native Title war between the local Bundjalung families. When Jo unexpectedly finds love on one side of the Native Title divide she quickly learns that living on country is only part of the recipe for the Good Life.

Told with humour and a sharp satirical eye, Mullumbimby is a modern story set against an ancient land.

©2013 Melissa Lucashenko (P)2022 Audible Australia Pty Ltd. Fiction Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature Comedy Witty
All stars
Most relevant
I found it so interesting to hear how the current generation of aborigines are being made to evidence their right to the land stolen from them. That the injustice continues.

Loved this book

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A cracker of a book, to pick ting true to life characters with elegance and humour and keeping the reader engaged every page of the way. Highly recommended book.

Smart, passionate, tough, funny.

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This is a beautifully written book that really needs listening to carefully as it has so much to say about the rich and troubled history of Australia's indigenous people. My eyes have been opened and I want to learn more. The use of Bundjalung language through out the book adds richness and depth to the narrative which is expertly read by Tasma Walton. I loved it.

Brilliant

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I found this to be a very enjoyable listen. It is a moving and excellent story. Hard at times for me but not because of the small amount of swearing. A few swears making dialogue authentic have no I’ll effect. What settlers did to First Nation people over the world and still do, that’s way more offensive by far.

Fantastic, enthralling, educational

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I wanted to like this book and I am glad I now have some knowledge and understanding surrounding the challenges that the indigenous peoples of this part of Australia are dealing with but I just didn't really like the book. Some of the writing was rather beautiful, as were some of the observations.

Mostly I didn't like the main character, Jo. She just seemed rather self centred and she didn't appreciate her daughter enough. She just slots this freeloader man into her life, therefore into the daughter's life without considering the daughter at all. Even when her horse dies, she pushes her daughter's arms away. She consistently pushes her own needs and priorities on the child, until the end at least.

Even without taking that into consideration I just couldn't relate to her. I would not get on with her in real life. I just found her grating. And her "humour" was particularly irritating.

I also didn't see the need for the constant swearing, particularly when it's not just part of the dialogue but of the narrative. However from speaking to Australians in smaller towns before, there does seem to be a greater freedom of language than I'm used to. Still though when it's f this and c that in pretty much every sentence it's a bit jarring.

Mullumbimby

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