Sally Morgan's "Sister Heart" teachers' review

Posted: September 08, 2023

Categories: Literacy, Talking Texts

Tags: literacy, classroom suggestions, book review

Author: Jane Sherlock and Deb McPherson

Talking Texts with Deb & Jane: a review of Sally Morgan's "Sister Heart" for teachers

Brief description and distinctive features

Brief description of Sister Heart:

Sister Heart is an accessible and moving verse novel exploring the experiences of the Stolen Children and is written by the well-known First Nations writer and artist, Sally Morgan.

This is a heartfelt story told through the perspective of a young First Nations girl, Annie who is suddenly taken from her home, placed on a ship to the far south where she is put in an institution. It is a desperately sad time for Annie to be wrenched from her home, family and the Country she knows and her pain is palpable but her courage is powerful. Like many children of the Stolen Generation, Annie loses her name, is banned from speaking her language and struggles to cope. The shock is so great, Annie loses her voice until another girl in the same position shares her compassion, her brother and the crying tree. Despite being haunted by dreams of her lost family, Annie learns to trust again. Janie and her little brother Tim become Annie's new family but there are still many challenges for Annie.

Distinctive features of Sister Heart:

The author, Sally Morgan belongs to the Palku and Nyamal peoples of the Pilbara and is well-known for her ground-breaking autobiography, My Place and for her evocative and magnificent paintings.
Sister Heart won the 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Children's Fiction.
The story is poignantly told from the child’s perspective; the voice is authentic.
This is a compelling story which successfully builds empathy and understanding of what it was like to be part of the Stolen Generation
The verse is easy to read and propels the reader quickly through the 251 pages. Chapters are short which assists students own reading success.
This pared-back narrative style allows for rich layers of imagery to evoke Connection to Country and the importance of kin and family.
There are various teaching notes available for this text.

**Ways to use Sister Heart in the classroom**

Share Sally Morgan’s powerful 1987 painting, Taken Away to establish the Stolen generation context.

Some background details on the Stolen generation may be needed for some groups to establish the historical and social context. This might be best covered after some initial reading of Sister Heart. The website Creative Spirits (www.creativespirits.info) has a very accessible search facility and has a range of resources on the Stolen Generation including an excellent infographic in poster form which can be purchased from the site.

There is also a timeline which covers from 1869 with the establishment of the Victoria Board for the Protection of Aborigines through to the National Apology in 2008 and to 2012.
Read the first chapter aloud to the class – what are three significant details we learn in this opening three pages?
In the second chapter we understand a little more about Annie – what is that?
“Morgan’s writing ... entwines images and symbols from homeland and the children’s home: freshwater and saltwater; warmth and cold; little sister and brother; singing with family and for special guests; song lines, shadow lines, lines on a map, barred lines. Morgan’s imagery of birds and flight gain significance as events unfold.’ Sydney Morning Herald. As an example of this assessment of Morgan’s writing, read the heartbreaking description on p.26-27: in groups analyse the way Morgan uses language to capture Annie’s despair.
After reading the rest of the novel return to the same groups and add examples from three other chapters in the story which demonstrates how Morgan “entwines images and symbols.”
In groups students choose a chapter to present as Readers’ Theatre where each group member takes a stanza and speaks to the class and perhaps the group says the final stanza in unison. Consider using some instruments to add a soundscape e.g. clapping sticks, bongo drums. Be sure to applaud each group’s performance.
Distribute the lyrics of the song, Took the Children Away, by Archie Roach and then listen to a recording of the song. Play it twice and in the second playing students could highlight words and phrases which best align with Sister Heart. Divide the class into groups and assign the song or the novel to each group to create a persuasive speech as to why their text is the most effective in exploring the experiences of the stolen generation.

Relevant details in relation to the new English 7-10 syllabus

Sister Heart is a verse novel by an Indigenous author suitable for Stage 4. As an example of a range of texts by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors it could be used to explore the concepts of context, point of view, connotation, imagery and symbol.
It will enable students to explore Indigenous connections to Culture and Identity and specifically how they use figurative language and other devices to deliberately create meaning.

Connecting texts

These texts either continue the Indigenous focus or explore challenges as a young person:

← Previous Next →

Jane Sherlock and Deb McPherson

Teachers

Jane Sherlock and Deb McPherson are experienced and passionate English teachers. They have also been involved in the education sector as authors and presenters at teaching conferences.

...