As they share and savour each story, their friendship deepens. When she meets Subhi, Jimmie forms a new connection and also strengthens one she thought was gone forever. After they meet, Subhi, a voracious reader (although there’s not much to choose from in the centre) reads stories from the notebook aloud to Jimmie, night by night, one by one. Living in a rural community, Jimmie doesn’t get to school all that often, and hasn’t learnt to read – leaving her mother’s stories out of reach. The strongest links she has left to her are the sparrow necklace she wears and a notebook of stories, handwritten by her mother and based on her family’s past. Jimmie doesn’t feel complete after the loss of her mother.

One night when he can’t sleep and is wandering the camp, Subhi comes across a young girl – she has shoes, a backpack, a torch – she is from Outside. Life behind the fence is tough, and sometimes seems to have more of the fear and violence they were trying to escape. Subhi was born in an Australian immigration detention centre after his mother and sister fled their home country. Before long we realise that Subhi has never seen or heard the ocean for real – because he has spent his entire life behind a fence. Subhi calls it his ‘Night Sea,’ and believes it washes up treasures. His big sister, Queeny, can’t hear them but his mother, Maá, can. He’s imagining a beautiful ocean so intently he can almost hear the waves. Nine year old Subhi’s voice comes through strongly from the very first page. Zana Fraillon’s novel for older readers, The Bone Sparrow, is one of these.

They have a character whose voice and story ring so clear, and you feel just a little bit different after having read it. Every so often a book comes along that will stay with you.

The bone sparrow book