Rosanne Hawke, Dear Pakistan (Beyond Borders #1), Rhiza Press, 1 June 2016. 163pp., $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781925139549
The first book in the series Beyond Borders from Rhiza Press, this story by Rosanne Hawke takes an unusual approach to the problems of identity and belonging experienced in the teenage years. The protagonist, Jaime Richards, is Australian born but has lived most of her life in Pakistan with her aid-worker parents. Having adjusted well to life in that country, when the family moves back home so that she can finish her education in Australia, many customs are unexpectedly unfamiliar and strange in her “home” land.
In this way, the problems of assimilating into an unfamiliar social milieu are highlighted, and the “victim blaming” so often arising in the discussions about social mores is turned on its head. Jaime is a white, Australian-born girl: so why this sense of isolation and disconnection?
Finding friends to help Jaime re-establish herself carries most of the plot. How to connect with other teenage girls whose personal styles and moral codes differ so much to those to which she has been accustomed? How to respond appropriately to potential boyfriends and friends who are boys? There are no easy answers.
Jaime’s siblings and parents have their own troubles. A kind teacher offers Jaime an outlet through writing a journal, and this is presented as a separate dream-romance story within the book. I found this less successful than the direct narrative, although it serves the purpose of displaying key elements of the culture Jaime has left behind.
Australian racist attitudes are also presented in a scene featuring a violent attack that sends one of Jaime’s Pakistani friends to hospital.
The book ends on a positive note. A successful year at school, new friends and a sense of purpose. Jaime has found her feet and romance is on her agenda.
Teacher’s Notes are available on the Rhiza Press website.
Reviewed by Julie Thorndyke
