Heat and Light - Ellen Van Neerven

"Heat and Light" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that tackles the intersecting themes of cultural survival, climate change, and the effects of colonial history. Through its multifaceted storytelling, Ellen van Neerven offers a nuanced exploration of the lives of contemporary Indigenous Australians, as well as the ongoing fight for cultural preservation and environmental justice. The novel’s rich, layered narrative, with its diverse range of characters, presents a moving meditation on the resilience of the human spirit, the importance of family and heritage, and the urgent need to address the ecological crisis threatening the planet. It is a work of fiction that challenges readers to reconsider their relationship with the land and the people who have cared for it for millennia.