Alice's dreaming

Alice's dreaming is described as 'an unforgettable, multi-layered history, at once biography, literary thriller and stunning evocation of Country and place.' - Mark McKenna

Early last century, Alice Duncan-Kemp grew up on a remote Queensland cattle station. Later, she would write down her childhood memories of learning from Aboriginal women and men at home on their own Country. In her books, she evoked a rich parallel universe of storytelling and lore, which she felt privileged to witness. She also spoke of an informal local treaty that curbed the violence of the frontier.

What are we to make of Alice's dreaming today? Master historian and writer Tom Griffiths takes us into—and beyond—this revelatory encounter. Through it, we glimpse the turmoil of a complex and tragic frontier, and a remarkable story of survival and cultural resilience. In recent years, the Mithaka people Alice lived among and wrote about have reclaimed their Country, drawing in part on her writing to support their claims.

Alice's dreaming shows how moving, intimate—and unexpected—history can be.

'In this wonderful book Tom Griffiths reveals how 60,000 years of First Nations history is intricately woven into the fabric of contemporary Australian values. Alice's dreaming is a work of the greatest importance to our understanding of who we are. It is also great literature, an epic story told with imaginative distinction.' - Alex Miller

'An unforgettable, multi-layered history, Alice's dreaming is at once biography, literary thriller and stunning evocation of Country and place.' - Mark McKenna

'When I read Alice's stories they take me back to what we learned as kids. Her work is so important to us as a people, and to me personally. Everyone needs to know who this woman was and the legacy she left for us. That's what Alice's dreaming is about. I just love the way this book is written.' - Mithaka woman Rainy McKellar

Alice's dreaming is a vitally important contribution to Australia's ongoing pursuit of more truthful and inclusive narratives about the country's history. This elegantly written and deeply researched book offers a respectful yet searching examination of Alice Duncan-Kemp's extraordinary life and work, while also honouring the Mithaka people among whom she lived. - Amitav Ghosh

'A work of absolute wonder, every page radiant with insight and the enchantment of Mithaka Country' - Grace Karskens