THE SUNDAY TIMES' BESTSELLER AND SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT CONSERVATION AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE
This beautifully written memoir explores dark family secrets and one woman's journey to Australia to confront her past. British journalist Cal Flyn, while vacationing in her childhood home in the Scottish Highlands, uncovers a shocking truth about her great-great-great uncle, Angus McMillan. Celebrated as a pioneer of early Australia, McMillan was also the leader of horrific massacres against indigenous people. In 1843, he led a 'Highland brigade' responsible for brutal assaults that left lasting scars on the land and its people, with locations like Butchers Creek and Slaughterhouse Gully forever marked by bloodshed. Motivated to understand her family's history and confront the legacy of McMillan's actions, Cal embarks on a journey retracing his path. She grapples with difficult questions: How could someone revered for his virtues commit such atrocities? What are the long-term impacts on the Gunai people? And what responsibility does the current generation bear for the sins of their ancestors? This memoir combines elements of family history, travelogue, and historical inquiry, offering a profound examination of intergenerational grief and inherited guilt. It invites readers to reflect on their own connections to the past and the complexities of heritage.
Enden und Anfänge in einer menschenleeren Welt