Shauna's Great Expectations

by Kathleen Loughnan

Shauna is in her final year at an elite private school and has great expectations. She holds an Indigenous scholarship and is determined to be the first member of her family to go to university, no matter what. The year is off to an excellent start, and she and her friends are dreaming big about life after school and a trip to Paris.

But suddenly she's faced with a choice that threatens to throw all her plans into disarray. As pressure builds from every corner of her world, Shauna wonders what she'll have to sacrifice to keep hold of her dreams... Can she fulfil her own promise and still keep her promises to others? Will all her expectations be ripped away?

• ISBN13: 9781911631477
• Publish Date: 3 October 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: AU
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin
• Imprint: A&U Children
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelly]

Shauna is in her final year at her prestigious Sydney private school, determined to make the most of her Indigenous scholarship and become the first person in her family to attend university. Living away from home, feeling disconnected from her sense of country and land, Shauna feels the expectations placed upon her and eventually, something has to give.

Shauna's Great Expectations will ignite discussion about the choices we make as females and the pressure placed upon ourselves by our selves and others. Women should have control over their bodies and any decisions or choices regarding their bodies, including abortion.

Australian literature written by Indigenous authors is a cause for celebration. Especially in young adult literature, Indigenous characters are often written from the white author lens, not able to experience micro aggressions or casual racism towards our First Nations communities. Shauna's strength and determination as a young Indigenous woman is wonderful.