The Ninth Life Of A Diamond Miner: A Memoir

Grace Tame

Grace Tame has never walked on middle ground. From a young age, her life was defined by uncertainty — by trauma and strength, sadness and hope, terrible lows and wondrous highs. As a teenager she found the courage to speak up after experiencing awful and ongoing child sexual abuse. This fight to find her voice would not be her last. In 2021 Grace stepped squarely into the public eye as the Australian of the Year, and was the catalyst for a tidal wave of conversation and action. Australians from all walks of life were inspired and moved by her fire and passion. Here she was using her voice, and encouraging others to use theirs too. The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner is Grace’s story, in Grace’s words, on Grace’s terms. Like Grace, it is sharply intelligent, deeply felt and often blisteringly funny. And, as with all her work, it offers a constructive and optimistic vision for a better future for all of us.

Published by Pan Macmillan Australia.

isbn: 978-1-7609-8805-0.WorldCat entry

My thoughts on The Ninth Life Of A Diamond Miner

I don’t know how to describe this book, or my experience of reading it. Grace is very funny, even whilst reliving and retelling the most horrific tale of her abuse at the hands of a cold-blooded monster.

I can’t believe this remarkable woman had the courage and grit to not only survive what she went through, but then to put all this down in writing (of course reliving it along the way), include her art and her photos of family and herself, and then publish it to the world. She quite literally bares her soul, and she does it mostly to educate people on how grooming works, how child abuse affects survivors, hoping she can prevent even one more child going through her pain. This is so inspiring in and of itself, and then you read her experiences and you’re inspired again, and again, and again.

Some parts are hard to get into. Many parts are very hard to read without gripping the book so tight you’ll bend the spine in half. But I found it immensely educational, entertaining, funny and tragic and authentic. I sincerely believe that every single male in this country needs to read this book. The women too, of course, but especially us fellas. I’ll be lending my copy to my son and I hope you read it too and then do the same for the blokes in your life.