The Art of Taxidermy is a lyrical book that focusses on love and grief, written entirely in verse. Charlotte is the main character, a young girl trying to deal with the death of her mother in Australia in the 1960’s. Alongside her constant companion, Annie, Charlotte finds her “specimens”, animals that have died, and attempts to preserve them. While her father believes her to have a scientific mind, her Aunt Hilda is horrified and tries to get her to behave more like a girl instead of a ghoul, often going to cruel lengths. The story also touches on the internments camps in Australia for the German, Japanese and Italian immigrants during WWII, as well as the stolen generation.
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