Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky
By Rebeca Lim
What if you were forced to set sail for a country that didn't want you, to meet a father you couldn't remember?
Thirteen-year-old Fu, his younger sister, Pei, and their mother live in a small rural community in Southern China that is already enduring harsh conditions when it is collectivised as part of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign that ultimately led to economic disaster, widespread famine and millions of deaths.
After tragedy strikes, and threatened with separation, Fu and Pei set out on a perilous journey across countries and oceans to find their father, who left for Australia almost a decade ago. With nothing to guide them but a photograph and some documents in a language they cannot read, they must draw on all their courage and tenacity just to survive - and perhaps forge a better life for themselves.
An unforgettable story of family, resilience and the complex Asian-Australian experience from the esteemed author of Tiger Daughter, winner of the CBCA Book of the year for Older Readers.
'This exciting and immediately engaging story is rich in memorable characters, full of tension, moments of tenderness and high emotion, with a deep, challenging core questioning our beliefs and prejudices.' StoryLinks
By Rebeca Lim
What if you were forced to set sail for a country that didn't want you, to meet a father you couldn't remember?
Thirteen-year-old Fu, his younger sister, Pei, and their mother live in a small rural community in Southern China that is already enduring harsh conditions when it is collectivised as part of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign that ultimately led to economic disaster, widespread famine and millions of deaths.
After tragedy strikes, and threatened with separation, Fu and Pei set out on a perilous journey across countries and oceans to find their father, who left for Australia almost a decade ago. With nothing to guide them but a photograph and some documents in a language they cannot read, they must draw on all their courage and tenacity just to survive - and perhaps forge a better life for themselves.
An unforgettable story of family, resilience and the complex Asian-Australian experience from the esteemed author of Tiger Daughter, winner of the CBCA Book of the year for Older Readers.
'This exciting and immediately engaging story is rich in memorable characters, full of tension, moments of tenderness and high emotion, with a deep, challenging core questioning our beliefs and prejudices.' StoryLinks
By Rebeca Lim
What if you were forced to set sail for a country that didn't want you, to meet a father you couldn't remember?
Thirteen-year-old Fu, his younger sister, Pei, and their mother live in a small rural community in Southern China that is already enduring harsh conditions when it is collectivised as part of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign that ultimately led to economic disaster, widespread famine and millions of deaths.
After tragedy strikes, and threatened with separation, Fu and Pei set out on a perilous journey across countries and oceans to find their father, who left for Australia almost a decade ago. With nothing to guide them but a photograph and some documents in a language they cannot read, they must draw on all their courage and tenacity just to survive - and perhaps forge a better life for themselves.
An unforgettable story of family, resilience and the complex Asian-Australian experience from the esteemed author of Tiger Daughter, winner of the CBCA Book of the year for Older Readers.
'This exciting and immediately engaging story is rich in memorable characters, full of tension, moments of tenderness and high emotion, with a deep, challenging core questioning our beliefs and prejudices.' StoryLinks
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Format: Paperback
Dimensions:
Pages: 320
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ISBN: 9781761180224
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children’s
Release Date: 29 August 2023
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Author: Rebecca Lim
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Junior Secondary (12+ yrs)
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CONFLICT & CRISIS, DIVERSE CULTURAL VOICES
refugees, courage, family, hardship, journey, resilience, hope, friendship, racism, China, Australia, Asian-Australian
“This book is a wonderful recent release by Rebecca Lim and I loved learning of the people who provided inspiration for the characters in this story. Although Fu and Pei, travel with few resources, their resilience and courage is buoyed at times by the generosity and kindness of a few of the strangers they encounter.
Yet, it is still an arduous path they sail & tread! I definitely shed tears along this journey.
A great amount of detailed research lies behind this story, and it is wonderful to be able to share a book with young people that reflects stories of journeys of people to Australia from Asian communities during this time period, as well as reflecting realistically on how Australian policies impacted them. Rebecca explains in her author’s note:“This is not a novel about whether one political system is better than another. It’s about all the unsung tales of bravery by ordinary people who are never celebrate in our national stories and myths about ‘Australians’ or Australian heroism.”
On a more personal note in her acknowledgements, Rebecca says: “As with many of my books for young people, I’m trying to set the record a little straighter for my kids, their friends and the people we know, bringing all of us, not just the usual suspects, into the canon of stories that are worthy of telling.”
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