My Father is a Curlew is a coming-of-age magical realism novel by Australian author Samatha Trayhurn. It features Wallace, a young woman grappling with conflicting emotions over her father’s sudden death. On Russell Island, Queensland, where she has gone to settle her father’s affairs, Wallace reflects on his life as a scientist who studied migratory birds, particularly curlews. She experiences moments of deep connection and loss, expressed in lyrical language. She finally comes to visualise her father as an elusive curlew, symbolising his transit from death into memory.

While on the island, Wallace bonds with Oji, her father’s former partner, who helps her navigate her grief. As they renovate the house left to her, Wallace learns more about her father’s struggles and his choice to end his life. The story interweaves themes of identity, family, loss, and the search for belonging as Wallace confronts her past and attempts to reimagine her future.

As Christmas approaches, tensions arise between Wallace and her mother, Jill, who pressures her to return home to Sydney Their strained relationship highlights the family’s unresolved issues from the past. Ultimately, Wallace finds solace in the reassuring presence of her father-curlew and comes to understand and accept his absence.

A lyrical work about reconciling the evolving bonds between daughter and father.