Hi everyone,
I held high hopes for this book, having only recently learned that my 3 x great grandfather was a convict. Which means I was probably setting myself up for being disappointed – which I was. It’s not that it was badly written, but I wouldn’t be recommending it to anyone as a good read. I think the main problem was that I didn’t like any of the characters – probably the result of not being “inside” any one particular character for any length of time. I wondered why she took this approach – it certainly didn’t make the somewhat fantastic (ie unbelievable) story any easier to swallow. The other issue I have with ”based on a true story” historical fiction is that all of the stuff about feelings, the side plots involving sexual tension/love story are so obviously made up. As this book relied a lot on feelings, sexual tension and love stories to connect with the reader, I found the book particularly difficult to believe.
The story aside, I did find some of the characters humorously portrayed (Maude Percival, Mrs Kentish, Hettie). In sum, an easy read, but not one to keep in the bookshelf. I think I’d probably prefer to read the non-fiction version of this story.\
Take care and have fun at the library that sells beer.
Celia
elissa
theemc2
