The Boy from the Mish

Ready When You Are

By: Gary Lonesborough

Narrated by: Meyne Wyatt

A funny and heart-warming coming-of-age story, set in a rural Australian community, about 17-year-old Jackson finding the courage to explore who he is, even if it scares him.

'I don't paint so much anymore,' I say, looking to my feet.

'Oh. Well, I got a boy who needs to do some art. You can help him out,' Aunty Pam says, like I have no say in the matter, like she didn't hear what I just said about not painting so much anymore. 'Jackson, this is Tomas. He's living with me for a little while.'

It's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson's Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city - but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them.... As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret - a secret he thought he'd locked away for good.

Compelling, honest and beautifully written, The Boy from the Mish is about first love, identity and the superpower of self-belief.

Published in North America as Ready When You Are.

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin man, who grew up on the Far South Coast of NSW as part of a large and proud Aboriginal family. Growing up a massive Kylie Minogue and North Queensland Cowboys fan, Gary was always writing as a child and continued his creative journey when he moved to Sydney to study at film school. Gary has experience working in Aboriginal health, the disability sector (including experience working in the Youth Justice System) and the film industry. He was Bega Valley Shire Council Young Citizen of the Year, won the Patrick White Young Indigenous Writers' Award and has received a Copyright Agency First Nations Fellowship. The Boy from the Mish is Gary's debut novel.

©2021 Gary Lonesborough (P)2021 Audible Australia Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"A book I've been searching for over my whole career...[it] awed me with the power of its storytelling." (David Levithan, Scholastic US editorial director)

"Honest. Funny. Beautiful. This book is all the things." (Gabbie Stroud)

positive

I really enjoyed this audible It was very real and surprisingly positive. I thank you for that and your parents for raising you with love. it shows and is refreshing to know that love exists, as it should be! the boy from mish ;-) ,, love it!!!

Lovely

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Great slice of life!

The narrator did a good job however it was hard to tell the characters apart.

Awesome listen!

This is a beautiful book written with lots of care and joy, while not minimizing the struggle that people can face when they grow up in marginalized communities. Loved it!

Enjoyed the story tellers speech

The story takes you to another continent and made me think of the aboriginal people. It is Refreshing and beautifully told.

interesting

interesting story concerning Australian youth/characters an the Aboriginal culture. this book deals with racial prejudices and a boy deal with sexuality.

Sweet coming of age

Exposure to queer indigenous voices and stories has become more urgent to me of late. This is a solid coming of age story that depicts the cultural belonging as well as the racialize aggressions that press in on the lives of indigenous communities. I enjoyed it.

Worth a listen

Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable read. Aboriginal culture is one I don't know much about, so this is something new for me, and I'm glad I gave this book a chance.

The negatives - The main reason for lower rating is just that there wasn't a whole lot going on. For the most part, it's about the boys hanging out and other activities of their everyday life. The beginning especially felt slow. The writing style, while not necessarily bad, felt a little dry or stiff at times. And lastly, though it's more of a me-problem as a non-native English speaker, it took me several chapters to get used to the narrator's accent. I assume it's the correct accent for the book's setting, which I do admit is a great choice, but regardless it meant there were parts of the book I wasn't able to decipher. But it did get easier the more I listened.

The positives - I enjoyed the glimpse into Aboriginal culture, however small of an example it may be. The romance was cute and well executed, and the relationships with all the other characters - family and friends - felt genuine. Most of the characters were very likeable. There was clear character development and coming to terms with one's own identity, with a satisfying ending to the book.