Reviewed by Rod McLary
William J Byrne proves to be a natural story-teller as he weaves the real-life experiences of his extended family with the history and circumstances of the Indigenous people. As a child, he was immersed in the tales told by his aunties and uncles and his father. And what this has brought to his novel is an authenticity and a natural voice to the narrative which draws the reader into an intimate and engaging world.
At the centre of the narrative is thirteen-year-old Robbie living with his parents and siblings in a shack in a fictional town in New South Wales. It is a hard-scrabble existence where his father takes work where and when he can get it and his mother cleans the house of the Mayor. Robbie’s father is white and his mother is indigenous. But his father is an unpredictable – and sometimes violent – man who despite having a heavy hand is loved by his family and in his own way loves them just as much.
The novel is set in 1969 the year that man first walked on the Moon – perhaps drawing a parallel between the advances in technology with the continuing disadvantage of the Indigenous peoples. It was a time when life was harsh at home, at school and in the community; when racism towards indigenous people involved the most awful of racist slurs.
But apart from schoolyard taunts from time to time, Robbie remains largely untouched by the deep-seated prejudices of the townspeople until he meets Moses who claims a family connection with Robbie’s mother. As their friendship develops, Robbie learns more and more about their shared family history and the injustices meted out to the local Indigenous peoples. And now he is faced with an almost impossible choice – speak about what happened and risk the livelihood of his family or stay silent. As Robbie says: I knew what happened. And I knew the truth. But I didn’t know what to do. [110]. His subsequent guilt in staying silent is a heavy burden for a young boy.
While the first – and the larger – part of the book is anecdotal and told through the prism of thirteen-year-old Robbie’s day-to-day experiences, the second part is told in the third person as it sets out an increasingly fraught dialogue between Rob and Edward. And this strengthens the narrative and introduces a dramatic tension which gradually builds as it moves towards a conclusion.
Both Part One and Part Two conclude with newspaper extracts dated 26 December 1969 and 9 November 2019 respectively which effectively and dramatically link the two parts together.
The Warrumbar is a compelling story of a young boy on the fringes of his local community – partly because of his family circumstances and partly because of the townspeople’s prejudices and the tragic history of the Indigenous peoples.
William J Byrne has crafted his debut novel with authenticity and lived-experience. It is well-recommended.
The Warrumbar
[2025]
by William J Byrne
UWA Publishing
ISBN: 978–1–76080–311-7
$34.99; 238pp