SALT RIVER ROAD by Molly Schmidt

Salt River Road is the debut novel of West Australian writer and journalist Molly Schmidt. It won the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award in 2023.

The blurb on the back reads as follows:

In the aftermath of their mother’s death, the Tetley siblings’ lives are falling apart. Left to fend for themselves as their family farm goes to ruins, Rose sets out to escape the grief and mess of home. When she meets Noongar Elders Patsy and Herbert, she finds herself drawn into a home where she has the chance to discover the strength of community, and to heal a wound her family has carried for a generation.

— Salt River Road

The story revolves around the five Tetley siblings: Steve, Joe, Frank, Rose and Alby, with focus on Rose and Frank. They are grieving the loss of their mother and their father, Eddie, withdraws into his sadness, essentially leaving the kids to fend for themselves on their rented farm.

The story switches between Rose and Frank, and features a prose-like poetry throughout which I felt brought an interesting dynamic to the storytelling. Their grief is real and is exhibited through differing means. I am not one to police grief, so I am not going to suggest that the storyline was unreal, but I definitely felt at times like Eddie’s withdrawal from his children, for the length of time he does, was unlikely - particularly given Alby is only five years old.

I think the writing quality of the book was good - Schmidt definitely has a talent, but I think there is a glaring issue with this novel which I cannot ignore if I am reviewing this book honestly, so here it goes.

(Deep breath)

This novel purports, in the blurb and in the marketing, to be a story that strongly features Patsy and Herbert, local Noongar Elders. (This is why I’ve included the blurb above, which I normally wouldn’t do). And yes, those characters do play an important role in tying up the loose ends of this novel. My problem - and this might be more with the marketing than the author - is that it suggest that this book is about the Noongar people. It is not.

Are there examples of the horrific racism experienced by First Nations people in this novel? Yes.

Are Patsy and Herbert essential to the story? Also yes.

Is this a novel that tells a Noongar story? No.

Is the part of the story that centres the Noongar people actually at the heart of what the novel is about? Also no.

Gosh - I hate saying this but here it is: this novel wove Noongar people and culture in as a selling point. They are used as bait. This is a story about the grief of a young family and the loss of their mother.

It is not about Patsy and Herbert, and although they are connected to the Tetley family, their story is not what THIS story is about. They are superfluous to the central theme of this book - that is, grief. Their characters did not have to be Noongar. That they were, and all that brought with it, was, frankly, unnecessary.

I definitely want to read books with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander characters. I want those characters to be central to narrative, regardless of whether they are main characters or not. What I don’t want are characters who are Noongar because it attracts readers or because that’s the local mob. In short, I don’t want them to be there for performative reasons. I sadly I think in this instance, that’s what they were.

The sad thing is that it has taken away from a wonderful story that should have been told and could stand on its own two feet, without the tokenism. I know Schmidt had local Noongar Elders assist and support her with this book. I think she’s endeavoured to treat the issue sensitively and kindly. But it still lands in a space of a sort of cultural appropriation, and I think that needs consideration when reviewing a book. I’m not saying Schmidt shouldn’t have written Noongar characters. What I am saying it that the result is, in this case, reductive. It’s something I felt really uncomfortable with as Patsy and Herbert take up their space in the story.

Ultimately, I think there were two distinct stories told in this book, both worthy but not well interwoven. The second one - that involved the Noongar Elders, was far too slow to emerge, which contributed to the confusion I felt over why that element of the story was there at all.

Salt River Road ultimately disappoints, despite Schmidt’s talent. I hope she writes more, but for me this is not one I’d be recommending to friends.