Representation: First Australian characters
Trigger warnings: Displacement, death of a child and friend from an illness, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, child abuse, hospitalisation, racism, bullying
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Note that the novel is authentic since the author's attributes matches the characters'. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

Well. I remember searching this up and then seeing it in one of the two libraries I go to and after seeing positive ratings and reviews I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, the only way I could describe my experience reading this story was that I was gutted. It was an informative but heartbreaking read from start to finish complemented by the uncommon writing style. Now then. It starts with the main character who initially doesn't have a first or last name (it's not clear how old she is either) living her life somewhere in Australia until someone displaced her and took her somewhere else in an event now called the Stolen Generations. Did I mention this novel is all written in poetry but the execution is better than some other poetry novels I've read, and it deals with the topic better than another story I saw previously called Our Race for Reconciliation by Anita Heiss? The unnamed girl then goes to a school whose name I forgot with a teacher that called her Anne (hey that name sounds familiar) where she stays for the rest of the narrative.

Not long after Anne as I'll call her from now on (that name will change soon enough) is introduced to some new characters (some of them I liked, like Janey. Some I did not.) I'm not sure why when the teacher tried to teach Anne English she didn't like it only because she said it tried to erase her culture or something along those lines (hasn't she heard of bilingualism? She could use that.) I had a hunch that something heartrending would happen. The last few pages were the saddest as the government abused Anne, Janey was hospitalised for an illness (the book said it was influenza) and later died while Anne, now called Annie hopes that she would be free one day ending the book on a devastating note. It's an imperative read, sure. But it's heavy. I don't know why the library I got this book from placed it in nonfiction. Not realistic. Not historical. Nonfiction. ( )

Told in verse, this was the story of a young Aboriginal girl who was taken from her family and put into an institution for Indigenous children where they were taught English, given Anglo-Saxon names and forced to change their culture.

"Sister Heart" was an emotional read and my heart wept for Annie and the other children in the institution, especially Janey and Tim. I can’t understand how anyone could think it is a good idea to forcibly take children from their families. It is totally cruel and heartless!

The loneliness, fear and anguish Annie felt was heartbreaking and I was disgusted at how she was treated by the adults who were 'educating' her. Even though this was a quick read "Sister Heart" is an important book as it highlights a shameful time in Australia’s history and should be read by both children and adults alike. Highly recommended. ( )