Learned Behaviours by Zeynab Gamieldien

Occasionally there will be a book that I simply can’t put down.

The last time that happened was when I read Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda which was fantastic on so many levels.

This time, it was Learned Behaviours by Zeynab Gamieldien which doesn’t come out till August this year.

I picked this up last Wednesday and read it in an evening. I literally couldn’t put this book down, and since then I have been wondering what made this book so good and why has it continued to play on my mind.

Firstly, I think Gamieldien is very clever in how she engages with the subject of privilege. There’s a small swimming story thread in the book. The main character Zaid Saban can float but isn’t really a swimmer. Why is this significant? It’s because it’s a tiny example of how privilege plays out in a very real way across people’s lives. Often there will be articles in the news about how people in Western Sydney don’t have easy access to pools or coastal areas, which are such an Australian thing. What does this mean across a person’s life? Well, that is the subject of Learned Behaviours.

Essentially, Zaid is in training to be a barrister. Amira, the sister of his high school friend Hassan, one day turns up in his office, drawing Zaid into events from almost twenty years ago. A high school student is killed and dumped in a creek close to their school. Hassan is arrested and later kills himself in jail.

What this book does exceptionally well is how it moves from the present-day to the events from high school.

What did I love about this book? It explores how education affects a person’s life. I’m a teacher. I care about schools and education and students, and in many ways education is meant to be the great social equaliser in “classless” Australian society. Except it often isn’t, and little details begin to have a very real and long-term impact on the characters.

We often talk about privilege. It is assumed that privilege is about money. That is a 2D understanding of privilege, which is access, opportunity, it is about the possibilities that we have, the possibilities we believe we’re entitled to to have. It’s such a difficult subject to touch, which is probably why it’s easier to fixate on “privilege as money” rather than this umbrella that includes education, class, geography, race, possibility and opportunity.

I can’t wait for Learned Behaviours to go out into the world. I can’t wait to be able to discuss it with other people because there is so much in this book that lends itself to really vigorous discussion. I guess I’ll just have to patiently wait a few months for its August release!