In a place and a time where most choices are taken from you, Jemma has a big decision to make. Stay in the confines of Cherbourg Aboriginal Community and look after her Nan, or run away to begin a new life with Syd. Nan has always been her rock, but Syd is the love of her life.
At midnight on the full moon Jemma must make her choice.
In the 1970s the Queensland police have a poor reputation for their interactions with Indigenous people, but young policewoman Tess is new to town and as yet uninfluenced by the pervasive racism. On her first visit to Cherbourg she finds a whole world she never knew existed and questions that she had never imagined. But finding the right answers really comes down to who you ask.
A unique perspective on life in and around Cherbourg—a small Queensland town with a big history.
***** Five Star Reviews
RANK by Tess Merlin
…the Boys’ Club was rife, and it was powerful. To be labelled a ‘dog’ was the worst thing for a police officer. Regaining respect and reinstating a reputation were nigh on impossible…
…in the scheme of things though it didn’t come close to some of the names I’d been called since putting on the pale blue uniform. Both by colleagues and members of the public…
The introduction of women into the Police ranks brought changes that some of the older male officers found very difficult to accept – so they didn’t.
This revealing insight into the challenges facing those early female officers highlights the fact that this is an ongoing issue – prevalent in all of the forces and services – even today.
RANK not only tells one policewoman’s own story in the workplace, but also the chilling story of being stalked in her private life.
The effects of that experience continue to influence her decisions as the story follows her struggle to be comfortable with an online presence to promote her new business and meet new people.
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I wish to acknowledge Country and the traditional custodians of the land that surrounds me as I write. This land holds spirit and energy that inspires us all in our creativity. I wish to pay respect to Elders both past and present. I honour the presence of these ancestors in the imagination of this land.