Written by Doris Pilkington, the daughter of the oldest girl, Molly, the story traces the traumatic uprooting of the three sisters from their community in Northwestern Australia.
Following a government edict in 1931, black and mixed-race children were gathered up and brought to settlements where they were to be disciplined to abandon their aboriginal heritage, and taught to be culturally white. The three sisters, Molly, Gracie, and Daisy, quickly planned an escape from the Moore River Native Settlement with its harsh life. The girls headed for the nearby rabbit-proof fence that stretches over 1,000 miles through the desert toward their home.
Their story is a truly moving tale of defiance and resilience. Nugi Garimara is Doris Pilkington's Aboriginal name. At age four, she and her mother were forcibly brought from Jigalong to Moore River Native Settlement. She was the first from the mission to enroll for Royal Perth Hospital's nursing aide training. She later studied journalism, and now has 29 grandchildren.
Rebekah Germain was nominated for best actress at the Erie Film Festival, Indiana, for her lead in the short film Summer Job. Her voice work includes Classical Assassins for BBC Radio 4 and The Road to Abolition for BBC Radio 3.
©1996 Doris Pilkington-Nugi Garimara; (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks Ltd