Bibliograph

The chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Thomas Keneally

Type

Label

The chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Thomas Keneally

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

fiction

Main title

The chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

Responsibility statement

Thomas Keneally

Summary

When Jimmie Blacksmith marries a white woman, the backlash from both Jimmie's tribe and white society initiates a series of dramatic events. As Jimmie tries to survive between two cultures, tensions reach a head when the Newbys, Jimmie's white employers, try to break up his marriage. the Newby women are murdered and Jimmie flees, pursued by police and vigilantes. the hunt intensifies as further murders are committed, and concludes with tragic results. thomas Keneally's fictionalised account of the 1900 killing spree of half-Aboriginal Jimmy Governor is a powerful story of a black man's revenge against an unjust and intolerant society

Classification