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Search - Rabbit-Proof Fence : The True Story of One of the Greatest Escapes of All Time
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Book Description:
Following an Australian government edict in 1931, black aboriginal children and children of mixed marriages were gathered up by whites and taken to settlements to be assimilated. In Rabbit-Proof Fence, award-winning author Doris Pilkington traces the captivating story of her mother, Molly, one of three young girls uprooted from her community in Southwestern Australia and taken to the Moore River Native Settlement. At the settlement, Milly and her relatives Gracie and Daisy were forbidden to speak their native language, forced to abandon their aboriginal heritage, and taught to be culturally white. After regular stays in solitary confinement, the three girls—scared and homesick—planned and executed a daring escape from the grim camp, with its harsh life of padlocks, barred windows, and hard cold beds.
The girls headed for the nearby rabbit-proof fence that stretched over 1,000 miles through the desert toward their home. Their journey lasted over a month, and the survived on everything from emus to feral cats, while narrowly avoiding the police, professional trackers, and hostile white settlers. Their story is a truly moving tale of defiance and resilience.
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Rate These Member Reviews
Sarra B. (For some reason, the white government in Australia decided that half-caste aboriginal children shouldn't be raised by their parents and would be better off living in camps in order to be trained as domestic servants. This is the story of Molly, Gracie and Daisy who escape from captivity and follow the rabbit-proof fence thousands of miles home to their families.
The story is a little dry, as it is told in a very no nonsense aboriginal manner, without the kind of examination of motivations or background information that western readers are accustomed to having. The movie is a great adjunct, as the director fleshes out the book while still remaining true to the story.
Written in a very simplistic style. Although a touching story, not what I expected.
Barbara G. from TERRE HAUTE, IN wrote on 9/23/2006...The remarkable true story of three young girls who cross the harsh Australian desert on foot to return to their home.