Swallow the Air

Winner of the David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Writers

When May's mother dies suddenly, she and her brother Billy are taken in by Aunty. However, their loss leaves them both searching for their place in a world that doesn't seem to want them. While Billy takes his own destructive path, May sets off to find her father and her Aboriginal identity. Her journey leads her from the Australian east coast to the far north, but it is the people she meets, not the destinations, that teach her what it is to belong. In this startling debut, Tara June Winch uses a fresh voice and unforgettable imagery to share her vision of growing up on society's fringes. Swallow the Air is the story of living in a torn world and finding the thread to help sew it back together.

This edition replaces ISBN 9780702235214 which was listed in HSC English Prescriptions 2027-2028 for English Standard: Language, identity and culture.

Prescribed text for NSW Syllabus English Standard and EAL/D: HSC 2027-2030.