Book recommendations from the Victorian Women's Trust

We asked the team at Victorian Women’s Trust to share what they’ve been reading in isolation. Here’s what they said.


From the Edge: Australia’s Lost Histories by Mark McKenna

“If there remains any need to drive the last nail in the coffin of terra nullius, this is it, with riveting historical accounts of overlooked or forgotten encounters between Indigenous people and White Europeans.”

Mary Crooks AO (Executive Director)


Normal People by Sally Rooney

“A book you kiss once you’ve closed it. I reread Normal People when I want to be completely absorbed and to devour something entirely. Highly recommended in times like these – as the line goes: life offers up these moments of joy despite everything.”

Sophie Bliss (Project Officer)


See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill

“As a man reading this book, I was confronted with a deeper understanding of the unique challenges experienced by women in domestic relationships. Jess Hill lays out the problem of domestic violence by analysing and dissecting conflicting arguments. An important read for all genders.”

Tarik Bayrakli (Manager of Club Respect)


Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit

“Hope can be a loaded word in uncertain times, but what historian and essayist Rebecca Solnit does extremely well is to remind the reader that uncertainty is a constant, and hope is not naivety; it’s an essential part of activism. Pointing to numerous moments across history when society was reshaped and reimagined by the will of the people, Solnit’s words are both comforting and galvanising.”

Ally Oliver-Perham (Communications Manager)


The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit

“Rebecca Solnit is one of my favourite essayists, and reading her book, The Mother of All Questions, has further affirmed this opinion. Solnit tackles weighty topics of motherhood, masculinity, rape and gender with empathy, intelligence and a balance of ferocity and gentleness.”

Sarah Rowe (Volunteer)


Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith

“In Year of the Monkey, Patti Smith steps us through a looking glass that is half American road trip through a dream, half sophisticated lament on human connection and the passing of time. This book is an evolution from her recent titles, relying less on her recollections of the past and more on the power of her prose and insight as a writer and artist.”

Maria Chetcuti (Operations Manager)


The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

“This book completely transported me into the world of Nell’s search for the truth about her family history and identity, following the lives of women who all found the will to create beauty even when their world seemed small. Kate Morton wraps you in the world of this book and I was totally taken away.”

Casimira Melican (Policy & Research)

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Cover image for See What You Made Me Do

See What You Made Me Do

Jess Hill

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