Letters to Lindy is a play written by Alana Valentine which explores the real-life story of Lindy Chamberlain, who was convicted of murdering her baby daughter, Azaria, after she was tragically taken by a dingo in the Australian outback in 1980. I was only little when baby Azaria died, but there isn't an Australian over the age of 25 who doesn't know the Chamberlain story. It's even made its way worldwide in the form of 'dingo ate my baby' jokes. Given the vitriol aimed towards Lindy at the time, I'm not sure that, were I in her situation, I'd have had the strength to even read the letters from the public, let alone keep them. I’d have probably just destroyed the lot. 

The book begins with a heartfelt forward by Lindy herself, setting the stage for a narrative that dives into the emotional complexities surrounding the tragic loss of her daughter, and the suspicion and blame she endured due to her stoic refusal to pander to public perceptions on the appropriate expression of grief. Bryce Hallett's introduction further amplifies the emotional depth of the play, as he invites the audience to empathise with Lindy's journey, urging them to reconsider their perceptions of the infamous case. As the play unfolds, it boldly confronts themes of prejudice, media sensationalism, and the legal system's susceptibility to error. 

Letters to Lindy doesn't seek to provide easy answers. Instead, the narrative invites viewers to question the judgments and assumptions that defined the case, then and now, and to examine their own internalised prejudices and preconceptions, particularly as applied to faith, grief, and justice. The play was an emotional roller coaster, shifting the gamut between sad, heartbroken, bewildered, furious, and relieved. However, I do think this is one of those plays that loses something by reading it instead of seeing it performed, and I would like to see it performed if possible.