When young Melbourne journalist Ava lands herself a job in the northwest town of Gubinge, she is warned the ‘country will eat you alive’. Instead, she finds ‘it’s got you captivated’. After discovering Japanese company Gerro Blue is seeking to mine uranium on sacred Burrika country, Ava accepts a role as its Aboriginal Liaison Officer in the hope of helping the community from the inside. Told exclusively in the second person, the narrative draws readers into a world simmering with tension amid the differing perspectives of the Gubinge residents, local Burrika people and the mining company. Will Ava’s good intentions enable her to advocate successfully, or will she simply lose everything she has come to love? And is the mine a chance to lift the community out of poverty, or will it tear it apart? With its vivid descriptions of place and earthy narrative voice, Red Can Origami is an evocative and topical read.