Shattered Lives Broken Dreams - Barbara Miller
My knowledge of Australia is really limited to British history lessons, Home & Away, and some research I had previously done on the treatment of Australian Aborigines. I had actually not read much about William Cooper, apart from seeing his name in passing, so I feel like I learned a lot of important information from this book. Shattered Lives Broken Dreams is the second book by Barbara Miller on the topic of William Cooper. This title starts off with Cooper’s protest of the treatment of the Jews by the Nazi rulers in Germany, leading the Australian Aborigenes League to march to the German Consulate in Melbourne in 1938. William Cooper, along with all other Australian Aborigines, were not even considered citizens in their own country, but Cooper could not keep silent about the persecution of another population thousands of miles away, as well as consistently talking about the treatment of his own people at home. The book then provides a detailed overview of Jewish persecution and mass murder during WW2, Australia’s involvement in the war (and lack of help towards Jewish refugees), and William Cooper’s civil rights work and legacy.
I really appreciated how the author weaves different elements of history together to tell the story of William Cooper, of Jewish persecution by the Nazis, and of Australian civil rights. It was like diving into a whole new pool of knowledge, with elements that I was aware of, and others that I had no idea about. I also really appreciated the author’s personal journey within this story, and her personal quest to ensure that William Cooper’s story and legacy stays alive.