The Yield: A Novel

Reverend Ferdinand Greenleaf’s letter continues. He discusses founding the Prosperous Mission in 1880 and expresses his dismay that Great Britain is waging war against his native Germany (referring to WWI), as he sees that the native population of Australia is suffering the most because of it. He describes his family’s arrival in 1841 and how it was seen as a safe haven for settlers. Greenleaf describes his family’s choice to convert to the Anglican Church and his own journey to becoming a reverend. He recounts traveling to evangelize throughout the country when he came upon a camp that the Indigenous people had been forced into by white settlers. He decided to stop and help.

He describes learning of how the Indigenous people had been forced into the interior in vastly unequal portions and how the land of Massacre Plains was far less fertile than what had been taken by white settlers. He records his shock at the way white Christian men were treating the Aboriginal people of Australia, upset at this behavior in a land that was supposed to be one of liberty. Greenleaf says he felt called by God to try to help the Indigenous population of Massacre Plains.

Poppy begins with the definition of dandan—“scattered all about in confusion.” Through the ensuing dictionary entries, he discusses the Indigenous beliefs surrounding dust devils and his life after the Boys’ Home. He writes that there are many things he hasn’t gotten to do, but he is okay with that since he has been able to time travel. He does regret that his family was broken apart. Poppy talks about letting his sister and her son, Jimmy, stay with them and how he ignored that there was something wrong with Jimmy because Poppy wanted to create a family for himself. He writes about singing as a spiritual balm and his studies of the soil. He talks about the native flora and the invasive plants brought by colonists and how the soil continues to suffer.

August drives from the house into town, struck by memories of the search for her sister along the way. She observes the town as she drives, noticing the minor changes that have occurred in her absence, and thinks about how respected her grandfather was in the town. She comes across another person she remembers from school, Alena Dimitri. As Alena shares recent news, August thinks about how when she left the eighth grade, everyone made up a story that she had run away to join the circus because she was “a freak.” Alena talks to August about the incoming mining operation and the economic downturn in the town. August returns to her grandmother’s house, where Elsie is looking through photos. They discuss August’s grandparents’ history. Elsie tells August that the land is the real victim at the end. August argues against the incoming mine, but Elsie has given up hope of stopping it.

Reverend Ferdinand Greenleaf’s letter continues. Greenleaf regrets how his family left Germany for Australia and how he is the same as many of his Australian countrymen but is now being persecuted for coming from Germany. He continues with the story of establishing the mission in Massacre Plains. Greenleaf tells of his introduction to Massacre Plains society and attempts to find land to have the mission on. He recounts the injustices he saw the native people of the land being made to suffer by white settlers. Greenleaf says he was able to establish the mission as long as he ensured limited contact with the white society of Massacre Plains to the government. He tells of him and his friend building the mission and of the initial skepticism he was met with from the Indigenous population. He tells of starting the farm work on the mission with the help of two enslaved Indigenous men.

Poppy tells of visiting with his female ancestors and them teaching him the constellations and mythology. He talks about running community classes with Elsie out of their home and their relationship and long marriage. Poppy then talks about the fauna around Massacre Plains, both the native and the invasive species brought over by colonists. He discusses the mythology of the raven and how all the bees are dying. He also talks about acting as a parent again to Jedda and August and teaching them about the land.

August goes to visit Eddie Falstaff at his house. She remembers not being allowed into it as a child. Eddie greets her and they begin to talk, but things are awkward as they have both changed since they were children. Eddie asks if August is dating anyone, and she says no. They kiss, and August immediately hurries away. August helps Elsie cook and thinks about school lunches and how the different levels of poverty in Massacre Plains divided the children. She wonders how long Eddie has wanted to kiss her and why.

August prepares guest rooms for her aunts who are staying at the house and finds a Bible Poppy had given her after Jedda disappeared. She remembers how he told her to read the book like it was a lie and to find the parts that were true, rewarding her with candy money. August throws the Bible out. August talks with Elsie about the book Poppy was writing and the family arriving the next day as they both avoid their grief.

Greenleaf’s letter continues. He describes building up trust with the local Indigenous population and their eventual arrival at the mission. Greenleaf discusses the building up of the mission and the occasional bouts of extreme poverty. He says far worse, however, was the treatment they received from the white townspeople. He speaks of the harassment against the Indigenous members of the mission, including an incident where some of the townsmen forced some of the women to drink alcohol and then sexually assaulted them. He tells of an incident where a white man rode into the mission and said that Greenleaf had to disband the mission or he would kill them all. Greenleaf knows that the anger is because before the mission, the white men of Massacre Plains were able to treat Indigenous bodies as free commodities.

Through Poppy’s next definitions, he speaks about playing as a child, moving on to the story of Gaygar, the duck of mythology, an origin story for the platypus. Gaygar had babies with a water rat, making the platypus. He talks about white soldiers returning from WWI being given land and how the Falstaff family failed to meet the requirements to own the land. He says Eddie will now know the feeling of being displaced as the mine moves in. Poppy talks more about the native animals of the land and says that the local librarian helped him find a resource that is helping him to compile his dictionary.

The town is stuck arguing over the mine, some worried for the environment and some desperate for the jobs that it will provide. A woman from the crematorium arrives at the house, and August can’t bear to remain. She goes to inspect the mining site. Finding a piece of quartz, she suddenly remembers racing Jedda to the house, calling for the race while Jedda was distracted by a piece of quartz. Once inside, she locked the door and ate the chocolate Easter egg Jedda had been saving right in front of her. Jedda became so frustrated that she smashed the locked glass door with a rock. August continues walking through the bush, seeing where the river once flowed and remembering her sister and Poppy.

She comes across a group of people who have set up camp, and they tell her that they’re water protectors. August speaks to a woman named Mandy and feels tension. Before August leaves, Mandy seems to flirt with her for a moment. August returns to the house and prepares for the funeral. As the family gathers, they share stories about Poppy. August’s cousin Joey arrives. The last time she saw him was when he was sentenced to four years of juvenile detention, the same day August ran away from home for good. He greets her happily and talks about Poppy coming to visit him in jail. He complains about the mine and says that it was the Falstaffs that called the mining company, but due to the 99-year government lease on that part of the land, the Gondiwindi and Falstaff families were cut out of the deal. Joey says that Eddie got him locked up. August talks to her Aunt Nicki, who is skeptical about the existence of Poppy’s dictionary and has no hope of saving the house.

Greenleaf continues, telling of how he got the day school at the mission classed as a public school, but then the supplies the government promised were continually delayed. The Indigenous people offered to get food, and although Greenleaf was hesitant to let them continue to live as they did before white people came, they had such success that he agreed. Greenleaf began to learn the language of the Indigenous people at the mission and used baymee, what he believed was their word for God, in his sermons. He writes that he realized that it wasn’t an exact translation, but, feeling abandoned by his God, he continued. He realized that the congregation was praying to Kengal, the rock formation nearby.