Official Review: Karinya by Paul Drewitt

[Kibet Hillary]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Karinya" by Paul Drewitt.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Kirra Yunupingu has always been disturbed by the deplorable state of affairs in her local community. Two distinct worlds bordering each other seem to exist within the same country. Crossing over the fence to the urban areas is like traveling from a desolate planet plagued by poverty and suffering to a prosperous one. One community is distinguished by extreme impoverishment, insecurity, early marriages, gender violence, and drug abuse. The men rape many girls and forced them to become mothers when they reach the age of sixteen. Neither the marginalized communities nor the government has taken any steps to address this injustice. Kirra refuses to let things continue going down this perilous path.

Armed with incredible bravery and the willpower to face all the insurmountable obstacles, she sets an aggressive campaign for economic fairness and social justice in motion. The ultimate aim is to ensure the rights of the Aboriginals are upheld and their voices heeded. Despite intense opposition mounted against her and her enthusiastic supporters, Kirra never gave up. She fully knew and stood by the fact that anything not started was ever finished. Karinya, authored by Drewitt, is a story of passionate and extraordinary activism. The book was published by Adelaide Books in 2020. It is approximately 158 pages long and comprises ten fascinating chapters.

The realistic nature of the book was outstanding. Many characters possessed both strengths and flaws in the corresponding measure. Kirra recognized what she desired to achieve but had a problem figuring out the steps required to obtain the results. Her boyfriend, Banjo, was impetuous, and Kirra had to step in several times to help calm his hotheadedness. I regarded him as a liability in the fight at first. However, I realized these were characters with imperfections. They did not allow their apparent weaknesses to prevent them from pursuing their goals, though. As a result, character development made the story sound factual and believable.

Kirra’s quest for justice shows that social change does not come easily. She had to constantly wrestle with the dilemma of either trusting or doubting those who joined her cause. Over and above that, she acknowledged bravery was not the absence of fear but acting despite its presence. In addition, those who accepted to champion this cause had to pay the price. They were willing to lose their jobs and be arrested for aiding an unwelcome change because others were fighting to maintain the status quo. Lastly, cognizant that any progress could be swept away, mechanisms had to be put in place to secure the accomplishments.

Editing was fairly done as I encountered instances where the name of a character or place had varied spellings. This spelling variation was the only thing I disliked. I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. Karinya is suitable for all ardent fans of activism stories and those fighting against injustice and inequality. The story is full of unique twists and turns that will keep the reader fascinated from the first to the concluding chapter. The book contains sexual innuendos and several expletives and hence may be unsuitable for readers averse to them.

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Karinya
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