The Last Daughter

A True Story of Love, Loss and Reconnection

By: Brenda Matthews

Narrated by: Ella Ferris

When she was two years old, Brenda and her siblings were taken from their parents.

For the next five years she was a much-loved daughter in a white family, a happy child in a country town on the outskirts of Sydney, unaware of the existence of her Aboriginal family or how hard her parents were fighting for her return – unaware of her Aboriginal identity.

Then, suddenly, she was reunited with her birth family, the last daughter to come home.

Decades later, Brenda searches for her foster family and her beloved white sister. Along the way she uncovers long-buried secrets and government bungling, and finds a deep connection to her Aboriginal culture.

2024, Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) Audiobook of the Year, Short-listed

©2023 Brenda Matthews. First published by The Text Publishing Company. (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'As well as being a moving story of two families, The Last Daughter speaks of the potential for healing between two cultures.' (The Sydney Morning Herald)

'The Last Daughter might be one of the most important books.' (Books+Publishing)

'Powerful [and] heartbreaking.' (Australian Women’s Weekly)