Reviews

A poignantly written novel about poor 19th century Australian women who suffered in slave ships and prisons. It's about the hardships and injustices they endured, but also how the bonds of friendships helped them to survive.

desertlover's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 STARS

I was a fan of Orphan Train and was excited to read more from this author. This was a heartbreaking tale, and I confess it was a struggle at times to finish. I have read books about the prisoner aspect of Australia/Tasmania, but they were more romance based than truth. My heart ached for all these women endured, but I felt it was something to not be forgotten. This book will stay with me for a long time; a compelling story.

estellegodard's review against another edition

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hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I enjoyed this time period and setting very much. I had never read a book that dealt with this subject matter and found it very interesting. I was unhappy with some of the choices made, namely killing off evangeline and the romance between dunn and hazel. I also thought mathinna’s passages were a little bit underdeveloped, especially since we don’t get any real closure for her. I did think she was an important character to add though, and it added texture to the austrlian colonial experience. overall, it was a pleasant and easy historical-fiction book.

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