Oblivia Ethelyne is an Aboriginal girl living in a dystopian world where climate change has basically changed the environment. Ethelyne has been gang-raped by a group of malicious local youths and left fragile. Bella Donna, a white woman immigrant escaping the consequences of climate change from the northern hemisphere, comes to Ethelyne’s rescue. Donna finds her sleeping in the hollow of a gum tree. She is a little girl without a name. However, Donna names her Oblivia. Donna and Ethelyne decide to live on an uninhabited swamp where the Army has erected a fence to separate indigenous people from interacting with other Australians.
Warren Finch, the first Aboriginal president, visits the swamp and asks Ethelyne for a marriage. Ethelyne accepts his proposal and becomes the first lady. Finch confines Ethelyne to an apartment block's upper floor in a disorderly southern city where she is subjected to indignities. Ethelyne is joined by the Harbour Master. Harbour Master brings her Rigoletto, a monkey capable of speaking. The two are devastated by the persecution of the swans. As a result, Ethelyne rescues most of them from oppression and keeps them safe in her apartment.
Finch is assassinated, and Oblivia has become a legend. The author presents Oblivia as an isolated character to describe how the rest of the Australian people has isolated Aboriginal people. Besides, her sufferings and traumatization show how Aboriginal people are subjected to persecution and harassment. When the old refugee founds Oblivia from Europe, she has no name and is mute. Here, the book shows how Aboriginal people lack their identity and voice in their own country.
