The Pearl of Tagai Town
$28.75
- Paperback
384 pages
- Release Date
1 July 2025
Summary
A sweeping, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant story of the life of a young Torres Strait Islander woman from Tagai Town, a shantytown on the northeastern coast of Australia, in the decades before, during and after World War II.
Growing up in the 1930s, Pearl strives for a place in the wider world, battling deep-seated prejudices. When she rescues a white shopkeeper trapped under a fallen beam, a bond forms between the two women, and Pearl becomes the first Ailan woman, …
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781923058392 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1923058398 |
| Author: | Lenora Thaker |
| Publisher: | Text Publishing |
| Imprint: | The Text Publishing Company |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 384 |
| Release Date: | 1 July 2025 |
| Weight: | 470g |
| Dimensions: | 35mm x 233mm x 155mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
‘An evocative and gutsy new voice.’ * Tara June Winch *
‘Moving, sobering and inspiring, this beautifully written story captured my heart.’ * Suzanne Leal *
‘Pearl’s epic story of resilience is one that all Australians should read. Just too deadly.’ * Sam Faulkner *
‘So vivid and authentic you can almost taste the semur chicken, hear the rain on tin roofs and feel the laughter and love in the air.’ * Rachael Maza *
‘A cultural perspective and rich language unique in Australian literature. I love Lenora Thaker’s wonderful novel.’ * Julie Janson *
‘Readers of Kate Grenville and Anita Heiss and those drawn to lesser-told stories will find much to admire in this striking debut.’ * Books+Publishing *
‘This is the kind of book you’ll want to read again immediately, and will appeal to fans of Kate Grenville, Pip Williams and Anita Heiss.’ * Readings Monthly *
‘The Pearl of Tagai Town reclaims history through storytelling.’ * National Indigenous Times *
‘Pearl’s epic story of resilience is one that all Australians should read.’ * Conscious Living Magazine *
’Torres Strait Islander novels have been as rare as hen’s teeth, making this work not just a beautiful sorry but a groundbreaking contribution to a literary landscape that has waited too long to hear these voices.’ * ABC Radio National, Rudi Bremer *
‘It is a thoroughly absorbing story, and a welcome insight into a view of history that has been neglected until now.’ * ReadPlus *
‘A powerful and beautiful novel on identity, love, community and sustenance, this is essential reading for readers of historical fiction, romance and First Nations novels alike.’ * Readings *
About The Author
Lenora Thaker
Lenora Thaker is a proud Meriam and Wagedagam woman born and raised on Gimuy-Walubarra Yidinji country in Far North Queensland. She is a descendant of the Torres Strait Islanders of Cairns Malaytown (a swampland shantytown that existed from the late 1800s to the early 1950s), who are the inspiration for this story. Lenora Thaker received the Indigenous Writers Mentorship for The Pearl of Tagai Town.
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