Black and Blue cover art

Black and Blue

A Memoir of Racism and Resilience

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Black and Blue

By: Veronica Gorrie
Narrated by: Tamala Shelton
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About this listen

The story of an Aboriginal woman who worked as a police officer and fought for justice both within and beyond the Australian Police Force.

A proud Gunai/Kurnai woman, Veronica Gorrie grew up dauntless, full of cheek and a fierce sense of justice. After watching her friends and family suffer under a deeply compromised law-enforcement system, Gorrie signed up for training to become one of a rare few Aboriginal police officers in Australia. In her ten years in the force, she witnessed appalling institutional racism and sexism and fought past those things to provide courageous and compassionate service to civilians in need, many Aboriginal themselves.

With a great gift for storytelling and a wicked sense of humour, Gorrie frankly and movingly explores the impact of racism on her family and her life, the impact of intergenerational trauma resulting from cultural dispossession and the inevitable difficulties of making her way in the white- and male-dominated workplace of the police force.

Black and Blue is a memoir of remarkable fortitude and resilience, told with wit, wisdom and great heart.

2022, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Victorian Prize for Literature Winner

2022, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Short-listed

2022, Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) Small Publishers' Adult, Short-listed

©2021 Veronica Gorrie (P)2021 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Freedom & Security Indigenous Studies Politics & Government Racism & Discrimination Social Sciences Specific Demographics Discrimination Human Rights Social justice Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

"Loved it. I read it in one sitting - couldn't put it down." (Melissa Lucashenko, author of Too Much Lip)

"This is the read for Australia now...it crackles with urgency. Honestly. I was left with a startling clarity after reading Black and Blue." (Rick Morton, author of My Year of Living Vulnerably)

"Women who have historically been silenced: now more than ever, we need to be reading their stories." (Jessie Tu, Sydney Morning Herald)
All stars
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heart breaking and many tears while reading/listening.

I just don't have anymore words.


a must read

heart breaking but a deadly read

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Veronica generously offers her unique and insightful black and blue lived experiences that I found at times bone chilling sobering, heartbreakingly warming and downright bloody funny. Such an imperative read for all, especially non-Indigenous Australians.

Brutally honest and Poignant

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An at times harrowing account of personal experiences that have no doubt shaped the woman the author has become. The underlying themes of love, resilience and forgiveness made it possible to see this book to the end. Thank you to the author for sharing her story.

Harrowing and powerful.

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By the time she was 25, Veronica Gorrie had experienced enough for three lifetimes — and that was before she began policing. A gutsy, gut wrenching and very important story, with a heartfelt and fully invested narration by Tamara Shelton.

Humbling story, heartfelt narration

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This book was phenomenal! The author is an amazing person, I am in awe of her and everything she has survived and accomplished. The book is confronting and highlights the deep generational impacts of racism and the ongoing struggle against racist institutions in Australia.

A must read!

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Veronica’s story is one heck of a human. To endure so much and come out the other side with forgiveness in her heart is a testament to her strength.

As the daughter of an old school cop who has shared with me his views and experiences with various aboriginal communities it was so interesting to hear Veronica story from several different perspectives.

Well written and very well spoken book.

Warming, gut wrenching & confronting

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What a story, sad, inspiring , thought provoking and very real. wow, it just me thinking how can you cope with this experience.

Real Resilience

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I loved this book, even though it was a challenging story to listen to.

challenging and brilliant

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Some of the reading is extremely frustrating with pauses and word emphasis in the wrong place but sentence structure by author is correct as indicated by the following punctuation. The narrators lovely calm voice however stops me from being overly bothered by it.
Ms Gorrie I hope you find your inner peace, lose your Mumma guilt (you forgave your own mother for much harsher injustice she laid at your door you should absolutely forgive yourself) while retaining your amazing passion

One woman’s emotional forever

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A grueling account of racism in Australia and the Australian police force - hard to listen to... surely much harder to write. A must read for all Australians so we can make a better fairer place for all.

A must read

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.