A History of Dreams, by Jane Rawson

The story begins in the late 1930s with a pair of schoolgirls on a train being harassed by a group of young men. It is a scene as believable, relevant and infuriating as at any time in the eight ensuing decades, right up to the present day – so little has essentially changed in gender dynamics. The sisters, Maggie and Esther, are rescued by their feminist friend Audrey, a communist and a witch with the power to change dreams. Their academic ambitions thwarted by conservative and restrictive parents, the girls train with Audrey and their unconventional friend Phyl to work against the patriarchy. But in the shadows of WWII a rising tide of fascism in quiet little Adelaide threatens to overshadow their small gains and kill all their dreams. The delight of free spirited young women bucking the system turns to chilling despair in this depiction of Australia as a precursor to Atwood’s Gilead. The handmaids of the resistance and their allies similarly face torture, imprisonment and degradation by the fascist regime, with seemingly small chance of a revolution. Despite its grim trajectory, the novel’s message is don’t take any gains for granted, retain hope and never give up the fight for a better world. Although it may be back-breakingly tiring, women’s work really is never done and the fight for equality will never end.