Seventeen-year-old Phoebe's life is turned upside down when she moves from the city to the country to live with her dad in this powerful and uplifting story about family breakdowns, facing truths and finding balance.
I mean, Mum didn't drink that much. All of my friends' parents loved their champagne or whatever. Everyone drank in The Village, too. I'd only been there for about a month and there'd already been five wine and food festivals. Mum's drinking wasn't a big deal. Right?
Phoebe's non-Indigenous mother, a busy event manager, and her father, an Aboriginal man and uni lecturer, have split up and she's moved to sleepy old Willunga with him and his new health-obsessed girlfriend. It's only a few kilometres from Phoebe's friends and the city, but it feels like another world.
Her new school is full of hippies, but some of the kids are cool and the local basketball team is tight, and before long Phoebe's fitting in. But as her mum becomes increasingly unreliable, Phoebe's grades suffer, her place on the basketball team is under threat and her worries spiral out of control.
Phoebe can't tell her friends and if she tells her dad he'll get angry, but pretending everything is fine is breaking her heart. How can she help her mum without tearing her family apart?
'Honest, raw and full of heart.' Tobias Madden, author of Anything But Fine
Powerfully written, with such authenticity, strength, fragility and such a powerful voice for each character
Jared, as always has delivered a multifaceted, dynamic, and emotive book. Not only giving a voice to young Phoebe, but to many others everywhere. This is a must read for all, not only for the teenage audiences. Jared discusses concepts and issues which are and have always been prevalent, educating and discussing truths and challenging stereotypes, all whilst doing so in a gentle way. The way Aboriginal connection to Country is spoken about, making decisions, placing healthy boundaries for yourself, and showing each of us that we are not alone on our journey is breathtakingly beautiful. I am taken along with Phoebe as she navigates her way through many changes of life, growing, changing, and becoming the powerful young Aboriginal woman we could see she was, from the first time we meet her. This is an honest, deeply moving, inspiring and multi-layered journey, which had me shedding tears in many places. Jared, through Phoebe challenges the narratives and stereotypes of Aboriginal people and communities, and gives hope, whilst discussing complex, and serious issues which almost everyone can identify with. Jared, in all he does, discusses and writes about, leaves myself, as a reader not only wanting more, but he leaves me feeling that not only Phoebe is given a voice, is heard, seen and that she matters; but so do I. This is a book is for all ages, from all walks of life. It leaves you feeling light, hopeful for the future and also that we can and will always have people to love us, to never break promises, to show up no matter how hard we push them away and love with all they have. I read My Spare Heart in one day - I was unable to put it down. I have ordered more copies for my loved ones, already. You will be changed after reading this. I promise. Jared, as always, you make me proud, you give our people a voice and you educate in such a way that is an extension of your pure, gentle and genuine heart. Your articulation of all that is important to us ... such a gift.
Yali, 05/06/2022
