Review: The Visitors

Title: The Visitors

Author: Jane Harrison 

Publisher: 30th August 2024 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages: 300 pages

Genre: historical fiction, play

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

On a steamy, hot day in January 1788, seven Aboriginal men, representing the nearby clans, gather at Warrane. Several newly arrived ships have been sighted in the great bay to the south, Kamay. The men meet to discuss their response to these visitors. All day, they talk, argue, debate. Where are the visitors from? What do they want? Might they just warra warra wai back to where they came from? Should they be welcomed? Or should they be made to leave? The decision of the men must be unanimous -- and will have far-reaching implications for all. Throughout the day, the weather is strange, with mammatus clouds, unbearable heat and a pending thunderstorm ... Somewhere, trouble is brewing.

From award-winning author and playwright Jane Harrison, The Visitors is an audacious, earthy, funny, gritty and powerful re-imagining of a crucial moment in Australia's history - and an unputdownable work of fiction.

My Thoughts

“Let's get back to the simple task at hand. We need to decide whether we let them land today or not.”

The Visitors by Jane Harrison is based on her successful play of the same name - therefore it is written with a play-like structure in parts. Inspired by the film, ‘ 12 Angry Men’, Jane has certainly done her research into one of the most impactful and ultimately painful days in Australian history. In just under 300 words, Jane successfully imagines what could have been senior leaders from the local tribes watching and arguing over the arrival of the First Fleet into Botany Bay in 1788. This is a reimagining of first encounters from an Indigenous  perspective and it is truly something every Australian should be reading. 

‘Is he being too optimistic about their intentions? Can he imagine a scenario in which they do not leave, for example? In which they take over land, water and sky? What if Gordon is right about these visitors? Could he be?’

‘Visitors’ had come and gone eighteen summers before (eg. Captain Cook) but that was just the point, they visited and then left. Would these visitors likewise be leaving? The story involves a lot of discussion about whether to engage in war or allow the visitors to come ashore. 

Joseph holds up his hand. So are we definitely fighting? We can't

just ignore them and wait for them to go away? Joseph is hopeful.

He isn't designed for warfare, only its aftermath, healing.

Gary. We tried that last time. Now they're back.

Joseph. If they've come and left before, won't they leave again?

Albert. Yes, but do we want them trampling all over country like

last time?

Gordon. No. We don't want them doing that.

Nathaniel. No way.

There's nodding around the circle.

Albert. So let's vote.

After lengthy debates the men notice that the visitors are landing and they make their fateful decision. We all know where it goes from there but there is something incredibly real about getting to know these tribal elders (and Lawrence) and witnessing how events play out for them all. 

This book certainly packs a punch for its less than 300 pages. Not only about the crucial decisions made on that day but also the witty dialogue between the men and the insight into Indigenous living and tribal protocols. I will admit to being somewhat confused by the use of Anglo-Saxon names and the reason behind their being dressed in suits and ties (I did research that it symbolised their status in contemporary terms) but wish that had been addressed somewhere in the book. All things considered, I feel this is an important book for especially non-indigenous people to read and learn from. Enlightening, humourous, somber and very, very real. 

“Do you really think that, just because they came ashore, we might fade into

nothingness like smoke into the sky?”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.