Book Review of "Walkabout" by James Vance Marshall

The changing relationships between the three children as they make their way through the desert form the basis of the story. The clash of cultures between the modern way of life and the Aboriginal way of life is beautifully portrayed in the book, without the author taking sides.  An inevitable clash of cultures causes misunderstanding between them and ultimately leads to tragedy. Mary is ill and at ease with the boy, so it is up to her younger brother, Peter, to try to bridge the gap between the two cultures. He does it very well. In a few days, Peter and Mary learn some basic Aboriginal language and learn how to hunt for food. The boy interprets the fear he sees in Mary. Mary has seen the spirit of death in his eyes and that his death is, therefore about to happen. He catches Peter’s cold and causes him to become ill and die, leaving Mary and Peter once more alone. However, he has already taught the children the survival skills they need to live in the desert and he has pointed the way they need to go. They are able to continue on the journey and the story ends with them setting off back to their world.

I think the author wants us to think at ourselves and how we would react if we were one of the characters. ‘Walkabout’ is a well-written book, which is easy to read, with terrific descriptions of the fascinating Australian landscape and its animals. I think the most interesting topics in this book are the difference between the culture of the white society and the Aboriginals. They differ in their lifestyle and the Aboriginals can manage to survive in this harsh environment.

Another interesting aspect is that the bush boy interprets actions of the white children completely different then they would expect him to (e.g. the ritual dance).

‘Walkabout’ is a memorable book because it shows us how Mary and Peter survive in many different ways with the Aboriginal and they learn a new experience.