When you are engulfed in flames by David Sedaris

These are a collection of essays written by the American journalist David Sedaris. The title comes from the last essay that tells us about the time he decided to stop smoking by going to live in Tokyo for three months! Anyone who has followed the way that smokers have been affected by new laws against smoking.

Other essays range from a few pages to longer ones – with a great deal of humour and wit. He writes about his family, his home, his youth and much more about events in his life. I particularly liked the one called “The Understudy ” – the babysitter from hell who lives with them for a week while their parents are on holidays. You wouldn’t want this woman to babysit you or anyone in your family.

Sarny: A life remembered by Gary Paulsen

Sequel to Nightjohn. This is everything that happens after Nightjohn leaves. It begins in 1930 with Sarny looking back over her life and thinking about her life.

Sarny takes us through her loves, children, liberation and the frantic search that she sends herself on during the fighting of the Civil War. Instead of heading north away from the battles, she heads south – you’ll have to read it to find out why.

Despite all the terror and horror of war that she lives through, she has many opportunities later in life. But she remains true to her character – following on from what Nightjohn has taught her – that education is everything for her people – no matter what.

Riding the black cockatoo by John Danalis

Riding the Black Cockatoo

Sometimes sick days can be rewarding – it meant I could lie in bed and just read the whole of this well-written and totally engrossing book. John’s story follows him on his journey as he goes from a family man learning to become  a teacher, to a sincere supporter of reconciliation.

John makes a casual comment one day (in a class about Indigenous Writing)  about how his family had an Aboriginal skull on their mantelpiece for over 40 years. This is the start of his amazing journey to the return this skull to its rightful resting place. Along the way, he goes through attitudinal and mental changes.  I do wonder what his wife and kids thought of all the goings-on, but I suppose it was his story rather than theirs.

His recall of attitudes towards Aboriginal People in Australia over the last four decades reminded me of how far many of us have come (not far enough and not enough of us, however).