Bone Talk

Product Information

Demoralising the locals, using them for their own gain, but she also showed that not every person from the invading country are arrogant and cruel. On the eve of his coming-of-age ritual, Samkad and his village find themselves on the verge of a changing world. In 1899 the Americans invaded the Philippines, initiating a brutal war and a programme to ‘civilise’ Filipino people. You feel the ancient rhythms of the Bontok way of life, the mythologies, relationships, and preoccupations, suddenly rupture.

My only issue with Sam's story is it felt very laboured in some parts and the ending was a bit quick and anti climatic. Told from the point of view of a courageous indigenous boy, the book whisks readers away into a fascinating, unfamiliar world. I loved that Gourlay used this book to try and bring more awareness to this period in history, as well as a stark reminder at the end about who provides us with our histories.When they decide to checkout the second field of rice paddies beyond the main field, they find it muddy, full of weeds, and a rival tribe member, but when he tries to tell his village, it's too late.

In the end, I realized, that while Samkad earned his rightful place in the village, it is his father who learned a great lesson as well. Don't get me wrong, there were interesting parts and the characters and intrigue were nice but the story seemed a bit messy like it was telling you lots of things without focusing on one.

Also, if I was going to be true to my story, it was important that I did not flinch from some aspects that the Western reader might find unpalatable. With Tall Story, I used a dual narrative to enhance the culture clash between Andi and her Filipino brother, Bernardo. Following Samkad we’re shown what happens to this group when they are taken over by the Americans invading their country. There's so many books out there that are brought from other countries-there's no problem with that, I appreciate that we have that kind of benefit-but that being the case, there's not much of an area alloted for our own literature. There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers).

Gourlay juggles so much in this book; strong females trying to fight against the gendered norm, the his history of a people living in the Cordeillera region, their cultures and customs as well as their encounters. The rite of passage ceremony though is brought to a halt when the old ones set a task that, ultimately, sets in motion events that change the tribe's future for all time. Little do I know that I wasn't able to put it down, when I read about Mangili, the tribal war context, and the arrival of the Americans. I talked about how their story had been twisted and misrepresented to fit the US’s imperial agenda at the turn of the century, as well as the continuing impact of that time. I love doing events and school visits but the interruptions really make my writing suffer and I get super tired now.As befits the genre, there are elements of uncertainty in the form and nature of the threat, uncertainty that slows the narrative in the third quarter of the book, but it quickly picks up to reach a two-pronged climax and unsettling denouement.