Balyet is based on a legend of Australia's aboriginal people, and contains two women (one real, the other a spirit) of this heritage as main characters. The author treats both the legend and the characters with respect. Even the seemingly cruel custom which exiles Balyet from human contact is explained as reasonable in another time and world view. There is no sense here that any group or culture is inferior to another; they are simply different.

This attitude is maintained so evenly throughout the book that teachers and parents may want to explore its validity in discussion. Might Balyet's exile have been a cruel and unusual punishment even for her own time? Does holding Balyet guilty in the blood brothers' fight say anything about the position of women in that society?

Likewise, does the "like calls to like" principle of magic that operates so strongly in...