Nona and Me
Nona and Me by Clare Atkins, published by Black Incorporated in 2014, is a young adult fiction novel that explores the complexities of friendship and cultural identity. The story follows Rosie and Nona, best friends born just days apart in a remote area of the Northern Territory. Their bond is tested when Nona moves away at the age of nine, and upon her return, Rosie finds herself caught between her old friend and new influences from the nearby mining town.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into the challenges of adolescence, particularly as Rosie navigates her changing relationships and the political tensions between her community and the mining town. The book addresses themes of loyalty, identity, and the impact of external pressures on personal connections. With 288 pages, this edition offers a thoughtful portrayal of the girls’ journey as they confront the realities of their differing backgrounds and the choices that lie ahead.
Official synopsis Publisher
They are also best friends. It doesn’t matter that Rosie is white and Nona is Aboriginal- their family connections tie them together for life.
Born just five days apart in a remote corner of the Northern Territory, the girls are inseparable, until Nona moves away at the age of nine. By the time she returns, they’re in Year 10 and things have changed. Rosie has lost interest in the community, preferring to hang out in the nearby mining town, where she goes to school with the glamorous Selena, and Selena’s gorgeous older brother Nick.
When a political announcement highlights divisions between the Aboriginal community and the mining town, Rosie is put in a difficult position- will she be forced to choose between her first love and her oldest friend?
Winner, Book of the Year- 2016 NT Literary Awards
Honour Book, 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year for Older Reader
Highly commended, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards for Writing for Young Adults
Longlisted, 2015 Inky Awards
Shortlisted, 2016 Territory Read Award
‘A fascinating book, beautifully told, with rich insight into a deeply Australian but little known community.’ -Jackie French
‘Rosie’s story brims with the joy and pain and complexity of friendship and love at sixteen. I adored this smart, heartfelt book about family, kinship, country, and finding out what really matters.’ -Fiona Wood
‘A powerful coming-of-age story … Atkins writes with clear-eyed sensitivity, and although I longed to hear Nona’s voice, its absence is deliberate and effective. Nona & Me is poignant young-adult fiction invoking the complex and often overlooked realities of remote indigenous life.’-Sydney Morning Herald
‘Clare Atkins writes about a place and a time with love and care, and explores a complicated and fraught situation with honesty and respect … Nona & Me is one of those wonderful books that takes you deeply into a rarely seen world and brings it vibrantly to life.’-Books + Publishing
‘ Clare Atkins wrestles with some of this country’s most hotly debated political issues with a rare lightness of touch. Nona & Me is a convincing portrait of a naive but feverish first love, friendships waxing and waning, and the clash between fitting in and sticking to your values. Above all, there’s a warmth and optimism that’s hard to resist.’-Sunday Age
‘Clare Atkins’ debut novel is a triumph- a coming-of-age tale that celebrates friendship and loyalty, family and community. Here is a striking new voice in Australian youth literature, and her story is one that will surely leave its mark.’-Kill Your Darlings
‘This is a powerful, beautifully contoured story of cross-cultural friendship.‘-The Weekend Australian
‘Clare Atkins delivers a polished, unflinching book that deserves to be read’-The Age
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