Tigg and the bandicoot bushranger by Jackie French

Twelve-year-old Tigg has had a difficult life, abandoned by family, and then raised from early childhood by a rough and tough woman who has worked as a ‘baby farmer’, but who now runs an equally rough bar near the Goldfields in Victoria. A life as a bushranger gives opportunity for Tigg to make some money and also to help the local Chinese man stay in a nearby area in his productive garden.  But a shooting puts Tigg’s life and future at risk and the hidden details of a twisted life must remain undercover. The mystery of Tigg’s past and present then take a complex turn as Tigg must pretend to be a Chinese person on their way from Robe to the goldfields on The Long March. Can Tigg ever find their place in the world? 

Jackie French has a wonderful way of uncovering Australian history and telling a compelling tale in the process. The personal troubles for Tigg are combined with the struggles for the Chinese people who came to Australia in its early Colonial years. This is an almost romanticised account of this history, a history that is sometimes brutal, but there is also a thread of love running through Tigg’s drama-filled life. It is a story that is easy to read and an enjoyable journey into the past. Jackie’s historical notes at the end of the book highlight the background research for the story. Readers aged 10-14 who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this latest work by a respected and prolific Australian author. Teacher's notes are available.

Themes: Bushrangers, Australian history, Chinese in Australia, Goldmining history, Orphans.

Carolyn Hull