Tag Archives: Family History

Mar12

Last Man Out – Louise Park

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Wild Dog Books

April 2023

  • ISBN13: 9781742036427

RRP: $24.99

Sometimes a book comes along that just has the most profound impact on you, as a reader and, in this case, also as an avid history nerd.

Louise Park’s new publication is just such a book. In the sort of way that makes one tingle – not to mention, well up with tears and feel every emotion as intensely as if one were there with the protagonist, I was unable to put it down once I picked it up.

In an utterly remarkable piece of family history, Louise’s grandfather was in fact the ‘last man out’ of Gallipoli, in that extraordinary and quite astonishing military exercise that saw the evacuation of about 36, 000 troops from the peninsula battleground, and created the stuff of legend, becoming Australia’s turning point as a nation (in my opinion).

Louise’s family, of course, has always known this fact and there have been other accounts of John Alexander Park’s role, from military historians, but this new book represents such an intensely personal labour of love and family pride that it will be hard to go past – particularly for younger readers. I predict that all readers, young or old, will be completely enthralled with each piece of the shared recount.

English-born Park was a veteran of the Afghan War, and the Boxer Uprising before settling in Australia and in 1915, aged 36 and a hardened veteran, signed up for the Australian Army and then arrived at Gallipoli.

Louise has taken her grandfather’s diary entries and letters, and combined with other primary documents, reconstructed the essence, the terror, the pain and the spirit of those last days in one of history’s most ill-fated and ill-conceived military endeavours. It’s not a long book – less than 100 pages – but it is both powerful and moving, and I can assure you that your readers from mid-primary right up to secondary will be transfixed with this.

With ANZAC Day approaching rapidly, this is the new ‘must have’ for your collection. I go as far as recommending that your schools buy a class set. It will never be considered anything but a valuable addition, you can trust me on this point. Narrative non-fiction is always a prime area of interest for young readers and in this context, one of the most iconic events in our collective history, even more so.

Just as children for decades now have been thrilled and moved by the story of Simpson and his donkey, they will now be as moved and impressed with John Park’s history, particularly with the addition of first-hand/primary material (including photos). In addition, the stylish and elegant presentation of this book is absolutely first rate, and the use of the khaki shades a brilliant strategy.

My absolute highest recommendation for this book, which is both a valuable historical record and a testament to a granddaughter’s love. Thank you Louise Park for allowing me to read and share this. It is magnificent!

John Alexander Park – I salute you.

Mar28

The Missing: the True Story of my Family in World War II – Michael Rosen

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1577053974835

Walker Books

March 2020

ISBN: 9781406386752
Imprint: Walker
Australian RRP: $22.99
New Zealand RRP: $24.99

First of all I have to say that I have the greatest admiration for Laureate Michael Rosen, both as a writer, a champion of children’s reading and school libraries and as a human. His writing over the years has always resonated with readers both young and old whether prose or poetry.

This is an account both intensely personal and powerful of Rosen’s determination to uncover the history of his missing relatives – who were ‘there before the war ….and gone after’. With very little to go on Rosen made it his mission over years, countries and continents and what scant records were available to piece together the fate of his missing uncles and aunts during the terrible purge of the Jews by the Nazis.

From the outset the tone of this volume is conversational in order to make it accessible and clear to his young readers and while never shying away from facts of genocide, death camps and similar topics he does not go into depth or details which may make it too confronting for the reader.

Written in both prose and poetry (in the main, excerpts from longer works) which was written specifically addressing his family as his thoughts turned to them, it is also interspersed with such rare primary documents and photos as were uncovered during his long research. The book concludes with extensive book lists of both fiction and non-fiction about the Holocaust and refugees (including our own Once by Morris Gleitzman and The Arrival by Shaun Tan)  as well as a useful list of museums and libraries for further investigation and an index. I would add to the list of graphics both the new White Bird by R. J. Palacio as well as Peter in Peril: Courage and Hope in World War II (2016) – Helen Bate.

In my experience, there is a large sector of child readers who will devour books around the Holocaust and not, in my opinion, because of any ghoulishness but rather a deep desire to understand the terrible tragedy, which in turn further develops their empathy and their acute awareness of injustice, and in the cases of some books the demonstration of resilience and the enduring hope displayed by so many.

I commend Rosen on his sharing of his own family’s sad story and his continuing endeavours to provide for children meaningful and thought-provoking readings. Books such as this one in particular will go a long way to raising our readers as compassionate and caring adults in an increasingly intolerant world.

Highly recommended for readers from around ten years upwards.