Snake cradle (Snake dreaming)

By Roberta B. Sykes

Snake Cradle is the first volume of Roberta Sykes' three volume autobiography, Snake Dreaming .

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1864485132
• ISBN13: 9781864485134
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Unwin Hyman
• Length: 1000 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 0.8" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Bracing and full of courage

Roberta Sykes has been a figure in the activist scene in Australia for many years. We have a number of Australian heroes here, people such as Noel Pearson, Pat O'Shane, Charles Perkins, and the now deceased, Judith Wright. Dr Sykes belongs among these admired people. With an enormous amount of work and great personal courage, these activists have moved Australia's attitudes from the shameful racism and prejudice which disgraced us for so long towards more inclusive and civilised attitudes. This book is the first in the series describing Dr Sykes' life. It is very harrowing in places. She was subjected to violence so great that it makes me sick to think of it and yet, she has come through. In some ways, her life is a metaphor for the Aboriginal people in general who have all been subjected to a great violence in terms of the theft of their land and the brutality with which they were treated - but they have survived and are now being listened to and treated with more respect. Roberta Sykes draws an interesting portrait of her mother. She is not portrayed in a sentimental way. At times, she seemed too rough with Roberta. But, in the end, her loyalty and courage enabled Roberta to survive an awful crisis and we feel only admiration for both mother and daughter. This book is not for the squeamish or fainthearted and certainly not for children. It is more for the bighearted and brave, adjectives that I would apply to Dr Sykes herself. You will be shocked but you will be encouraged, too.