I Knew You’d Have Brown Eyes
Reviewed By Grasshopper2 June 21, 2016
Author Mary Tennant
Distributor: Finch Publishing
ISBN: 9781925048728
Publisher: Finch Publishing
Release Date: June 2015
Website: www.finch.com.au
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The story Mary Tennant has chosen to tell is a personal memoir of her life which will resonate with so many people. In 1974, as a seventeen year old, Mary found herself pregnant. Her family was an ultra-conservative Catholic family, who lived in Queensland. Mary’s mother was authoritarian, and a very unforgiving and cold woman. Mary was hoping to gain entrance to University, but didn’t make the required mark because of constant sickness during the exam. This is her story, told in a factual, clear and truthful style, which immediately aligns the reader to her plight.
Abortion was out of the question, because Mary feared her mother’s reaction, and also because she and her boyfriend didn’t know where to go, or how much money they would need. Eventually she resided in a home for pregnant girls, who were all advised to have their babies adopted out. The birth was easy, but when the nurses said it was better for her not to see or hold the baby, it was devastating. The Adoption laws at that time made it clear that she was not allowed to ever contact her son. Mary began the next phase of her life.
Although she had wanted to study medicine, she trained as a nurse in a large hospital. From here, she moved to many positions, continuing her studies, never forgetting her son, celebrating each of his birthdays. Mary decided to work with Indigenous Communities in the Northern Territory and spent time on Groote Eylandt. Some of the stories she relates are amusing and all are fascinating. Aboriginal customs are well respected in this area, and when a man had his leg amputated, it was meant to be returned for burial and ceremony. Unfortunately the leg went missing, and a huge leg hunt was undertaken until the limb was found and returned.
In the remote communities where she worked, Mary found friends who loved to water ski and camp, and she also went food gathering with the local women. Still, she never forgot the son she had given away, and seldom shared this information. It was her dream to meet someone and begin to build a family of her own. Eventually, she did meet the man that she could trust and confide in and eventually marry. Mary gave birth to two daughters, and still looked out for any changes to the Adoption laws to help her contact her son.
Eventually, those changes came about and she was able to contact her son. We share in the wonder and amazement she felt as she related to him as a very familiar adult.
The title of this book is touching, revealing the thoughts and longing that Mary carried with her for all those years. As well as a true story, which has not written as an emotional outpouring, but with dignity and truthfulness, Mary has many amazing stories to tell of her work and her family.
The issues of abandonment, grief and loss are considered and shown to be so powerful in shaping people’s lives. As Mary says, about Abandonment, “For some it builds resilience, and yet for others …it had spelled disaster.”
The story is very deserving of the Finch Memoir Prize for 2016.