We Come With This Place

‘Part memoir, part bush guide and customs manual, this is a book to lean into and take time with. Foremost, this is a story to learn from.’ ‘A jewel to rival Australia’s great desert memoirs. Beauty and pain intertwine as Dank deftly weaves the story of her family, ancestors and country.’ ‘We Come With This Place is a jewel of a book, one Australians in particular ought to read and refer to.’ - Tara June Winch, Guardian ‘The best book I read in 2022 was We Come with This Place (Bonnier Echo) by Debra Dank. This is a heart-stopping voyage into bush Aboriginal life, philosophy and history. Dank’s grandmother was a Law Boss for her Gudanji Country; her father literally ran for his life from frontier violence. Her memoir of growing up on remote Queensland cattle stations, drinking from sacred hidden rock-wells, educated by correspondence school and living in a caravan it was illegal for her Aboriginal parents to own, will surprise, delight and astound you.’ - Melissa Lucashenko, The Sydney Morning Herald ‘As Australia contemplates a Voice to Parliament, this book reminds us to listen. Listen when the land tells her story. Hear the voices of the traditional owners. Listen first and then you will know.’ - Grattan Institute ‘To inhabit this vivid place is to be invited into a new understanding of country, culture, family and time. It stuck with me.’ - Steph Harmon, The Guardian ‘This book is deserving of the accolades. It’s an unconventional book, written out of an Aboriginal cultural base and it is truly groundbreaking writing… Her writing is a profound expression of culture and importantly a new way to access cultural knowledge.’ - Victoria Grieves Williams, The Australian

Debra Dank is a Gudanji/Wakaja woman, married to Rick, with three adult children and two grandchildren. An educator, she has worked in teaching and learning for many years - a gift given through the hard work of her parents. She continues to experience the privilege of living with country and with family. Debra completed her PhD in Narrative Theory and Semiotics at Deakin University in 2021.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.