Review: Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch
May is desperately searching for ... something. Her mother has passed away, her father disappeared years ago. May and her brother were taken in by Aunty, but her brother leaves following a domestic violence incident and May soon finds herself looking for him. And for her dad. However, as she journeys through Australia she soon learns what will give her a much needed sense of belonging. This was a difficult book for me to read, mostly because it left me feeling a deep mix of sadness and anger. Presented as a series of linked short stories, we meet May Gibson. The daughter of a Wiradjuri mother and an absent white father, something about May's life feels doomed yet filled with strange little moments of hope. Most of the supporting characters feel underdeveloped, as did May at times. However, where the novel truely stands out is through its look at what it means to belong, and a connection to people and country. Recommended.