The Pearl of Tagai Town

A sweeping historical love story that brings Torres Straight Islander culture to life. For readers of Anita Heiss.

A sweeping, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant story of the life of a young First Nations woman from Tagai Town, a shantytown on the northernmost tip of Australia, in the decades before, during and after World War II.


Growing up in the 1930s, Pearl strives for a place in the wider world, battling deep-seated prejudices. When she rescues a white shopkeeper trapped under a fallen beam, a bond forms between the two women, and Pearl becomes the first black woman to work front-of-shop in the nearby white town. Not everyone is happy, of course, but Pearl with her quiet, kind determination earns a degree of respect from the affronted white customers. Her budding romance with the bank manager's son, though, must always be kept secret, even from her own family. Some lines must not be crossed!

When Teddy's parents inevitably discover their son's secret marriage, Teddy suddenly enlists in the army and Pearl faces a cruel punishment. Their love is strong and their baby is Pearl's joy amid the hardship. But the devastating telegram that Teddy's parents receive from the war office puts an end to all hope of a happy reunion.

Until Pearl has reason to doubt the veracity of the telegram's contents.

Lenora Thaker's debut novel brings a fresh angle to Australian historical fiction, with a First Nations wartime love story.

About the Author

Lenora Thaker is a proud Meriam and Wagedagam woman born and raised on Gimuy-Walubarra Yidinji country in Far North Queensland. She is a descendant of the Torres Strait Islanders of Cairns Malaytown (a swampland shantytown that existed from the late 1800s to the early 1950s), who are the inspiration for this story. Lenora Thaker received the Boundless Mentorship for The Pearl of Tagai Town.