OTHER PEOPLE’S COUNTRY
By Lee Fox
Published by Lothian Children’s Books on 13 March 2008
$17.99 paperback, ISBN 9780734410153,
Recommended ages 12+

Lola's mum has just taken a short term job working at Wandana, a remote Aboriginal community, and for Lola and her brother Toby it’s a complete culture shock.

As soon as they arrive they witness strong racism, different social expectations and an acceptance of violence they have never encountered before.

Shaken and upset by the different way of life in Wandana, Lola’s family are set to pack their bags and go home. But even in the harshest of places kind hands reach out to the newcomers when they need them the most.

Lola and her family gradually begin to understand the complexity of life in Wandana, and realise that many of their fears and problems are due to cultural misunderstandings. This coming-of-age story, set in the very heart of our country, gives an insight into an Australia that so few of us know about.

With the position of Aboriginal people – both past and present – so prominent in the Australian psyche at the moment, Other People’s Country provides a compelling insight into life in an Aboriginal community, and the issues faced in dealing with the conflict between modern culture and their own history.

Author Lee Fox has spent time working in an Aboriginal community, and the fictional story of Other People’s Country is based on some of her own observations. She is the author of acclaimed picture book Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, which was shortlisted for the 2007 CBC Awards, and is currently working on a new picture book series..