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Intro
One night, while Mum is working at the out-camp on Boss’s livestock ranch, a policeman kidnaps and imprisons an Indigenous Australian girl (later given the English name Annie). In the morning, he hands the girl over to Reverend Dale, who chaperones her on a voyage by sea around the coast to a distant residential school. Being stolen from her family is so traumatizing (and Annie is so angry at the violation of her autonomy) that she refuses to speak to Reverend Dale during the whole voyage. She doesn’t talk to the authorities at the school, either. Nor can she bring herself to speak to the other children living at the school, including a girl named Janey who immediately tries to befriend her.
Janey and other children—Nancy, Emmy, and Dot—try to help Annie get used to the school, but Annie hates all of it. She hates the terrible food (which often makes her sick), the tedious chores (which, she knows, are preparing her for a life of servitude in a wealthy person’s house), and the lessons. She especially hates Teacher, who mocks and embarrasses her in front of the whole class and who hits her (and the other children) with a ruler as often as she can. The only bright spot in the school is the friendship that grows between Annie, Janey, and Janey’s younger brother Tim. Eventually, with her friends’ care and support, Annie rediscovers her voice.
During the cold months, Tim falls ill, and Janey and Annie take care of him. One day, they catch gilgies (crawfish) in a nearby creek which they roast on a fire and eat together. On their way back to the school grounds, Janey falls in the creek. Her clothes still haven’t dried by bedtime, and after spending a wet and miserable night in the freezing cold dormitory, she falls ill. As spring turns to summer, Tim recovers but Janey’s condition worsens. Eventually, she gets so sick that she has to go to the hospital wing under the care of Nurse. During this time, Annie and Tim repeatedly try to visit her, but Nurse always turns them away, fearful of the school’s influenza outbreak growing.
Just as Annie thinks her friend is about to recover, Janey dies. Heartbroken, Annie and Tim watch as the government officials who run the school bury her (and two other children) in small graves. Even after they’ve died, the government refuses to return the children to their families. Annie decides to take Tim under her wing—though she can’t bring Janey back, she can act as Tim’s big sister. One day, they find the last blossom of the year. They place it on Janey’s grave together, promising themselves and each other that they’ll never forget who they are or where they came from and that someday, somehow, they’ll fly free of this place and go home.
