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julmd4's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
melcanread's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
This was definitely an interesting read to say the least.
In 1841, a ship called the Rajah left the shores of England and headed for Australia, transporting 180 female criminals to serve their sentences down-under. This book is a fictional retelling of the historical voyage, and bringing awareness to the white person's origins in Australia... while also being a murder-mystery. Cue an Agatha Christie opening.
I'm very indifferent towards this book. I have no strong opinions either way. I liked it. I read it easily in one sitting and enjoyed my time. And I'd be happy to reread it if I ever got into the mood for it. But it didn't captivate me like I thought it would or even wanted it to. There was nothing particularly memorable about it except that it was a historical fiction about a real voyage. The ending was great, and satisfying to some extent. The writing was a little monotonous and I did get a little bored at times. It felt like the book was longer than it needed to be at 300 pages... but, no. It was fine otherwise.
In 1841, a ship called the Rajah left the shores of England and headed for Australia, transporting 180 female criminals to serve their sentences down-under. This book is a fictional retelling of the historical voyage, and bringing awareness to the white person's origins in Australia... while also being a murder-mystery. Cue an Agatha Christie opening.
I'm very indifferent towards this book. I have no strong opinions either way. I liked it. I read it easily in one sitting and enjoyed my time. And I'd be happy to reread it if I ever got into the mood for it. But it didn't captivate me like I thought it would or even wanted it to. There was nothing particularly memorable about it except that it was a historical fiction about a real voyage. The ending was great, and satisfying to some extent. The writing was a little monotonous and I did get a little bored at times. It felt like the book was longer than it needed to be at 300 pages... but, no. It was fine otherwise.
nls3019's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kentcryptid's review against another edition
2.5
I very much wanted this book to subvert Victorian tropes of class stereotypes, paternalism, punishment and religion, and it didn't do it. I found Kezia - effectively the main character, although the book contains other POVs - sanctimonious and infuriating, and I seriously question the way the book presents transportation as a positive for these women, who have been arrested for mostly very minor crimes.
booklandish's review against another edition
4.0
105 days at sea...It is in that locked-boat situation that this story unfolds. Based on real facts, this fictional journey was inspiring. At its heart, it is a tale of second chances and redemption and found family. The murder mystery element was an interesting bit of suspense too! And of course, I was fascinated by the quilt, the patchwork piece which inspired the book. I found the writing a bit clumsy at times and guilty of "telling instead of showing", but not in a way that took me out of the story. It is a really enjoyable historical fiction that I devoured in 24 hours!
"The very act of coming together every single day, of sitting quietly, sewing, one next to another, of knowing that what they were achieving was something of beauty: that had made them more than a gathering of individual souls; that was what had transformed them into a sisterhood."
"The very act of coming together every single day, of sitting quietly, sewing, one next to another, of knowing that what they were achieving was something of beauty: that had made them more than a gathering of individual souls; that was what had transformed them into a sisterhood."
rooftop_rabbit's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
milliemitchell's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
rcheesley's review against another edition
3.0
Takes quite some time for the story to get going and I found it a bit difficult to follow jumping back and forth between time and characters. An interesting story to be told but I didn't enjoy reading it as much as I'd hoped.
rosemaryandrue's review against another edition
3.0
Though the investigation of the mystery was not particularly enticing, the characters shone in this book; I cared about them and their relationships alike.