Publisher's Synopsis
Roberta Sykes's three-volume autobiography is a moving, personal story that begins as a tale of brutalization and ends a triumph of success. The books are collected here in one volume. One of Australia's best known activists for Aboriginal rights, Roberta's early life is covered in "Snake Cradle", the first volume, which follows her from her birth in Townsville in the 1940s, through to the birth of her son, when she is 17. It ends with the trial of the men who raped her. With a voice that is strong and true Roberta describes her growing awareness that hers was not an ordinary Australian childhood.;Born to a white mother, and a father whose identity she did not know, her passion and commitment to the struggles of the Aboriginal people was shaped by the racism her dark skin invoked. "Snake Dancing" volume two, chronicles Roberta's increasing politicization and involvement in the black movement as she gradually moves into the national spotlight as a writer and First Secretary of the Aboriginal Embassy set up in a tent on the lawns of Parliament House.;Bringing a human perspective to events that were often headline news around the world, Roberta draws the trilogy to a close with "Snake Circle". In it, we accompany her to Harvard University in a vivid recounting of Sykes' experience as the first Australian black to graduate with a doctorate. It also passionately tells of her relationships with those she loves, such as MumShirl and her children.
