Rachel Hennessy was born in Canberra, and has lived in Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, London and Adelaide. She resides now in Melbourne with her partner and two daughters.
She let go of the screen door and it slammed shut, echoing in the quiet. For a moment, I could only see her eyes, almost separate from the rest of her. They held something, something long lost to me. She dissolved into the darkness and I stood alone on the concrete, flexing my hands. Abo, nigger, darky. Abo, nigger, darky.
In postwar Sydney, Grace Smith takes Mary, a young Aboriginal girl, into her home. She believes she will be able to save the child by giving her all the benefits of white society. But Mary's arrival has unexpected consequences as Grace's past comes back to haunt, and condemn her.
The Heaven I Swallowed is a tale of the Stolen Generations, told from the perspective of the white perpetrator.
Runner-up for the Australian/Vogel's award and longlisted for the Kibble Literary Award.
$9.95 – $24.95
Rachel Hennessy was born in Canberra, and has lived in Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, London and Adelaide. She resides now in Melbourne with her partner and two daughters.
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'In this tale of the Stolen Generations, told from the (albeit twisted) perspective of a white woman, Hennessy has provided a sliver of insight into the racism that flourished in our society: a subject demanding exploration in contemporary Australian fiction … a sensitive tale about a sensitive issue.' - Leigh Coyle, M/C Reviews
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'I was completely riveted by this novel.' - Lisa Hill, ANZ LitLovers
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'This small publishing house has picked a winner … Hennessy writes like a dream.' - Dr Robyn Mundy, Westerly
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'While The Heaven I Swallowed is in part a commentary on the Stolen Generation, it was the complexity of the character of Grace Smith which held me enthralled, I put it down only once, and resented even that.' - Shelleyrae, Book'd Out