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Tell Me Again
For years, Amy Thunig thought she knew all the details about the day she was born, often demanding that the story of her birth be retold. Years later, heavily pregnant with her own first child, she learns what really happened that day. It' s a tale that exemplifies many of the events of her early life, where circumstances sometimes dictated that things be slightly different from how they might seem – including what is meant by her dad being away for ‘ work' and why her legal last name differs from her family' s. In this remarkable memoir, Amy narrates her journey through childhood and adolescence, growing up with parents who struggled with addiction and incarceration. She reveals the importance of extended family and community networks when your immediate loved ones are dealing with endemic poverty and intergenerational trauma. In recounting her experiences, she shows how the stories we tell about ourselves can help to shape and sustain us. Tell Me Again will captivate, move and inspire readers with its candour and insight.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2022
60 people are currently reading
2422 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
December 19, 2022
A beautiful memoir about a hard life. But there was so much love and strength in Thunig’s tale, so you ended up feeling like you can do anything even if you’re born into a life full of challenges.
November 21, 2022
How can we hold all of our experiences? The hurt and resentment and joy and love? How can we forgive and receive what others give to us?
So deeply touched by this memoir. Thunig has woven stories to express a transcendent experience of time across space, sharing intimate moments of feeling with people, places and community.
I think we all have a lot to learn from Amy.
So deeply touched by this memoir. Thunig has woven stories to express a transcendent experience of time across space, sharing intimate moments of feeling with people, places and community.
I think we all have a lot to learn from Amy.
October 16, 2022
Upon having the privilege to hear Amy speak about this book, I was intrigued and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. In reading the book, the finished product even exceeded my expectation, and I devoured this book in 2 days. In her memoir, Amy is very open and honest, gracious and inspiring, and doesn't shy away from the challenges she has faced growing up and the events which have shaped her into being the strong and wonderful woman she is today.
Read by Suzie
Read by Suzie
January 15, 2023
Blaaah. Oh dear me no. Confusing and contradictory and just plain weird! Is no one else going to address the elephant in the room?! How the entire book is basically telling us how dreadful her parents are, and then at the end she thanks them for being great role models! What the hell!?! And when I say dreadful as parents I mean criminally dreadful. Not because her dad was in jail but because they neglected her and hit her and abandoned her when she was a teenager. I just cannot understand how she could possibly ever say that they were great role models except to say do not ever be like these awful people!! And what about the charming response from her mother when she tells her she was sexually assaulted as a child!? It just goes on …
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2023
Utterly captivating! Amy Thunig’s memoir beautifully weaves the human experience of inter generational trauma, racism and anxiety that allows the reader into her space and experience - allows the reader to be truly changed by the power of her voice, the community that supports her, and the country that sustains her.
I completely recommend, it was so difficult to put down once I started reading.
I completely recommend, it was so difficult to put down once I started reading.
January 9, 2023
Thunig uses the Indigenous understanding of time as circular to structure her memoir of childhood poverty, addiction, incarceration and resilience. She writes beautifully about how her ancestors, self and descendents are part of moments, history, place and time. You cannot read this book without thinking of The Glass Castle. As an adult, Thunig has tried to understand her parent’s addiction and trauma as well as all the character-building lessons they taught her. This was a rare example when I would have liked a memoir to be longer, to sit in moments a little longer, to tell us a little more. But I’m grateful for what is here and the deep insights it offers.
December 4, 2022
A searing explanation of privilege, othering, and how we fail our people. A very personal and also very important series of stories. This left me wanting to do more, to do better.
November 19, 2022
this is living
Amy Thunig writes with passion and feeling of her life in all its messiness as she forges a path through the family dysfunction and through the inequities of school to her university days and an academic career. Things were definitely not easy but her capacity for understanding that things were not easy for her parents either eventually brings reconciliation and pride in the positives.
Amy Thunig writes with passion and feeling of her life in all its messiness as she forges a path through the family dysfunction and through the inequities of school to her university days and an academic career. Things were definitely not easy but her capacity for understanding that things were not easy for her parents either eventually brings reconciliation and pride in the positives.
February 27, 2023
An incredibly raw and beautiful memoir that I read in one sitting. I am off to make sure my daughters read this now. Thank you for sharing your story.
November 20, 2022
Tell Me Again is a visceral and powerful memoir by Amy Thunig. It is one of my favourite books this year, and an absolute must read.
Dr Amy Thunig is a Gomeroi/Gamilaroi/Kamilaroi yinarr (woman) and mother who resides on the unceded lands of the Awabakal peoples. She is an academic and educator, and when she speaks, we stop and listen.
In her memoir, Amy shares so vulnerably and openly of her upbringing and ultimately her story of survival growing up with family who fought addiction, poverty, and incarceration.
Journeying through the many challenges of intergenerational trauma, discrimination and grief emerges a woman who has found a profound voice that will cut through the privilege and speak on behalf of the disempowered.
Beautifully written and filled with so much graciousness this memoir will stay with you for time to come. Once you’ve finished this breathtaking read, tuning into Amy’s TED talk will be next on your agenda.
Highly recommend.
Review by Lydia @ Great Escape Books
Dr Amy Thunig is a Gomeroi/Gamilaroi/Kamilaroi yinarr (woman) and mother who resides on the unceded lands of the Awabakal peoples. She is an academic and educator, and when she speaks, we stop and listen.
In her memoir, Amy shares so vulnerably and openly of her upbringing and ultimately her story of survival growing up with family who fought addiction, poverty, and incarceration.
Journeying through the many challenges of intergenerational trauma, discrimination and grief emerges a woman who has found a profound voice that will cut through the privilege and speak on behalf of the disempowered.
Beautifully written and filled with so much graciousness this memoir will stay with you for time to come. Once you’ve finished this breathtaking read, tuning into Amy’s TED talk will be next on your agenda.
Highly recommend.
Review by Lydia @ Great Escape Books
April 10, 2023
I found this book a little confusing - it was hard to take in so much trauma and violence coupled with a woman getting her PhD. Her parents did some unforgivable things but Amy seemed to think that it was the fault of society and not theirs. I do agree with her that education is an answer to many problems and hopefully this will be evident in the future.
February 15, 2023
I thought this was an incredible memoir. Dr. Thunig tells the story of her childhood with such empathy and compassion for her family and her younger self. I really enjoyed Dr Thunig’s writing style, the way she crafted the memoir and how much she shared with us
January 3, 2023
Amy shares so vulnerably of her story of survival growing up with family who fought addiction, poverty, and incarceration.
The stories in this book will stay with me for a long time. A must read.
The stories in this book will stay with me for a long time. A must read.
October 17, 2025
Themes:
- the impact of good role models, emotional intelligence and how to demonstrate it
- the things you learn from different people, things aren't always what they seemed
- misunderstanding people's experiences and re-understanding them as an adult.
- code switching - particularly going into a university environment
Stand outs:
- the kindergarten spelling anecdote ("terrarium")
- the mandatory reporting section: "none of the teachers considered that at 15 years old, I had no way of articulating what I needed." None of the adults thought to prompt a call to other family members - no cultural awareness.
- the part about the nature documentary - something about it being white nonsense to think that nature is always kind. nature is cruel, humans are part of nature and can be cruel - unsure if their mother was the orca or the whale. Speaks to power dynamics coming up differently in different parts of their lives and in relationships with other people.
Quotes:
- “If you have bad outcomes, they say, oh, it’s because you’ve got bad parents. But if you have good outcomes, they’ll argue that it must have had nothing to do with your parents.”
- "A note written before the sun came up: It is better to die standing, than to live life on your knees."
- the impact of good role models, emotional intelligence and how to demonstrate it
- the things you learn from different people, things aren't always what they seemed
- misunderstanding people's experiences and re-understanding them as an adult.
- code switching - particularly going into a university environment
Stand outs:
- the kindergarten spelling anecdote ("terrarium")
- the mandatory reporting section: "none of the teachers considered that at 15 years old, I had no way of articulating what I needed." None of the adults thought to prompt a call to other family members - no cultural awareness.
- the part about the nature documentary - something about it being white nonsense to think that nature is always kind. nature is cruel, humans are part of nature and can be cruel - unsure if their mother was the orca or the whale. Speaks to power dynamics coming up differently in different parts of their lives and in relationships with other people.
Quotes:
- “If you have bad outcomes, they say, oh, it’s because you’ve got bad parents. But if you have good outcomes, they’ll argue that it must have had nothing to do with your parents.”
- "A note written before the sun came up: It is better to die standing, than to live life on your knees."
December 16, 2022
Dr. Amy Thunig’s incredible memoir Tell Me Again chronicles the path from childhood and adolescence through to adulthood, growing up with parents that severely struggled with addiction. It is a deeply emotional and resilient depiction of a young woman faced with the brutality of systemic racism, motivated by a desire to succeed against any and all odds she faces. Her respect, love and connection to Country emanates through every facet of the book. It’s beautifully communicated in her poetic, often lyrical writing, her words fully transporting the reader to the serenity of Australia’s unceded Aborignal lands. Thunig’s memoir is a masterclass in empathy. Her ability to see the humanity in people, especially the ones who love us but let us down, is breathtaking. Above all, even more so than forgiveness, to me this book is about love. Love of country, love of family and love of self, which after reading Thunig’s powerful words I’ve come to understand, are intrinsically linked. I’m in awe of Thunig. You will be better for having picked up this book, it is absolutely one of my favourite reads of the year.
May 30, 2023
This book is brilliant.
The humility and love shown by the author to her family, parents and wider community in this book is phenomenal.
Perhaps it’s the passage of time, therapy or education (combination of all?), Amy Thunig’s ability to write and recount passages from her life meaningfully, without attributing guilt and yet, write with clarity and empathy moved me to tears.
I applaud Thunig’s writing, structured in and around family themes, moving in and out of memory to present.
Obviously writing a memoir is taxing, but it’s rare to read of inter-generational trauma, poverty and addiction and to come away uplifted. Understanding the pressures of circumstance and society each character is presented with humility and respect. When a story is told with such standards, resolution might be possible, but forgiveness and acceptance are.
The humility and love shown by the author to her family, parents and wider community in this book is phenomenal.
Perhaps it’s the passage of time, therapy or education (combination of all?), Amy Thunig’s ability to write and recount passages from her life meaningfully, without attributing guilt and yet, write with clarity and empathy moved me to tears.
I applaud Thunig’s writing, structured in and around family themes, moving in and out of memory to present.
Obviously writing a memoir is taxing, but it’s rare to read of inter-generational trauma, poverty and addiction and to come away uplifted. Understanding the pressures of circumstance and society each character is presented with humility and respect. When a story is told with such standards, resolution might be possible, but forgiveness and acceptance are.
March 28, 2023
Listened on audiobook. Was an enjoyable calm listen and Amy has clearly survived much adversity. I preferred the first half to the second half. There were a few things that left me wanting. I wanted to know more about her culture, me being not from Australia, I was confused if she was of aboriginal descent or not.
I was also wondering about her saying that the grandparents and parents were great role models despite how much neglect and abuse she went through under their care.
I was interested in how she spoke of her sister, it seemed the sister was not such a target for abuse as amy was?
I wanted to know more about Amy now too.
Overall I would’ve loved a bit more clarity and analysis of her upbringing. Pretty good listen though, thanks.
I was also wondering about her saying that the grandparents and parents were great role models despite how much neglect and abuse she went through under their care.
I was interested in how she spoke of her sister, it seemed the sister was not such a target for abuse as amy was?
I wanted to know more about Amy now too.
Overall I would’ve loved a bit more clarity and analysis of her upbringing. Pretty good listen though, thanks.
September 19, 2022
Upon having the privilege to hear Amy speak about this book, I was intrigued and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. In reading the book, the finished product even exceeded my expectation, and I devoured this book in 2 days. In her memoir, Amy is very open and honest, gracious and inspiring, and doesn't shy away from the challenges she has faced growing up and the events which have shaped her into being the strong and wonderful woman she is today.
January 24, 2023
This book had me hooked from the moment I finished the prologue. It is written in an accessible flow of language that recounts memories without lingering on them for too long. Thunig both identifies her trauma and shows the reader that although it is her story, it is not every chapter. She practises a deep empathy and maturity that I hope I can adopt myself.
I feel very privileged to be able to read Amy’s story and have it influence my own approach to life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel very privileged to be able to read Amy’s story and have it influence my own approach to life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read
February 4, 2023A powerful memoir of trauma, love and strength. Thunig's resilience and determination are truly incredible, and her complicated relationship with her family is written with great tenderness and compassion. I loved the way Thunig's storytelling incorporates First Nations conceptions of non-linear time, moving seamlessly from past to present, from adulthood to childhood, holding space for all the different versions of Amy and for the stages of her life to coexist and to shape one another.
December 26, 2023
A beautifully read memoir, organised in poetic vignettes. I much prefer this style of memoir in comparison to one that follows a linear timeline. This memoir was filled with some truly heartbreaking and traumatic stories, yet there was plenty of beauty and love in the stories too. Amy’s capacity for empathy and forgiveness is remarkable. Family, community and country were evidently a wellspring for Amy’s strength and tenacity.
January 27, 2023
This book has such high reviews so I was looking forward to reading it.
I found the writing confusing... towards the end of the book her style changed and she started writing like a letter in places?
The story just didn't do it for me, yes she had a hard life but I didn't feel any connection to her from the story. It was a bit one dimensional for me.
I found the writing confusing... towards the end of the book her style changed and she started writing like a letter in places?
The story just didn't do it for me, yes she had a hard life but I didn't feel any connection to her from the story. It was a bit one dimensional for me.
December 19, 2023
Heartbreakingly powerful.
Listening to this journey read by the author was so moving and confronting. She told her story in a beautifully intimate way that her resilience shone through despite themes of childhood trauma, racism, failing of systems and family/ DV. I will think about this book and its author for a long time.
Listening to this journey read by the author was so moving and confronting. She told her story in a beautifully intimate way that her resilience shone through despite themes of childhood trauma, racism, failing of systems and family/ DV. I will think about this book and its author for a long time.
May 10, 2023
Apparently I read a completely different book to everyone else because this was as far away from a 5 star rating as I could get…
A muddled and seemingly random recollection of bits and pieces, justification for abhorrent behaviour from her parents and downright crappy story telling.
No from me.
A muddled and seemingly random recollection of bits and pieces, justification for abhorrent behaviour from her parents and downright crappy story telling.
No from me.
November 6, 2023
Unsure whether my 5 stars is for the book or the author herself for overcoming such adversity. A beautiful (albeit difficult at times) book to read.
January 31, 2025
This was eye opening. This Amy is only 10 years older than I am and was failed by so, so many adults in this country growing up. I didn't think the childhood they had was possible here so recently—the appalling behaviour of their parents and the racism and callousness of the other adults was shocking. The storytelling was incredible.
May 8, 2025
A hard book to review!
Quite horrific in what she details, (almost too graphic at points, but I see that she really wants to show how tough a life it can be!)
it almost was too sad to believe but that would be totally against the grain of the book (I think the worst thing was that so many people didn't believe her)
so it is worth reading but not a happy book at all, even though she has a happy ish ending, it doesn't discount the ordeals she's gone through.
(maybe it's like when someone shares something really tough and you are impacted more by it than they are! so maybe Amy has gotten over it, but to us readers we need lots of time to process)
Quite horrific in what she details, (almost too graphic at points, but I see that she really wants to show how tough a life it can be!)
it almost was too sad to believe but that would be totally against the grain of the book (I think the worst thing was that so many people didn't believe her)
so it is worth reading but not a happy book at all, even though she has a happy ish ending, it doesn't discount the ordeals she's gone through.
(maybe it's like when someone shares something really tough and you are impacted more by it than they are! so maybe Amy has gotten over it, but to us readers we need lots of time to process)
January 25, 2024
This was so good and so horrifically sad
January 22, 2024
Dis.Ap.Pointed. Read over half and couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I like to learn about the writer or something topical when reading memoirs and this one definitely missed the mark
February 19, 2023
deeply touching. a perfect book by virtue of its authenticity and candour.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews