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bc7ate9's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ historical fiction about female convicts sailing from the UK to the penal colony of Australia. I really liked this one. It’s a small bit of history I find fascinating (see also the novel The Exiles) and had secrets and mysteries that kept me interested. [audiobook from library]
summerline's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bethsbooketlist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
x 📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚 x
🖋️"That's what we, too, are like, us women. We're a patchwork ... We've turned ourselves into something. We're many small pieces, each of us different but now stitched together. A patchwork of souls"
I'm really happy I finally got to this book on my shelf. It's been sat there for a while and this month felt like the right time for this thrilling historical mystery. I loved that though this is a fictional retelling, there is a lot of truth throughout this book. The voyage of the Rajah, the main crew, the women it transported and the making of the patchwork quilt - all are true. And this fascinates me that these characters are possible embodiments of those that came before us. These women all came from difficult circumstances and sometimes impossible situations, making the best of what life threw at them. I had so much compassion for all these women, and to bring their stories into the light is wonderful of Hope Adams to do. The plot kept me guessing throughout, and the moving between past and present time lines was really well done. I didn't guess the culprit so it achieved the surprise element. Wonderful writing and suspense building, I would whole heartedly recommend!
🖋️"That's what we, too, are like, us women. We're a patchwork ... We've turned ourselves into something. We're many small pieces, each of us different but now stitched together. A patchwork of souls"
I'm really happy I finally got to this book on my shelf. It's been sat there for a while and this month felt like the right time for this thrilling historical mystery. I loved that though this is a fictional retelling, there is a lot of truth throughout this book. The voyage of the Rajah, the main crew, the women it transported and the making of the patchwork quilt - all are true. And this fascinates me that these characters are possible embodiments of those that came before us. These women all came from difficult circumstances and sometimes impossible situations, making the best of what life threw at them. I had so much compassion for all these women, and to bring their stories into the light is wonderful of Hope Adams to do. The plot kept me guessing throughout, and the moving between past and present time lines was really well done. I didn't guess the culprit so it achieved the surprise element. Wonderful writing and suspense building, I would whole heartedly recommend!
cecilie_flohr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
mdxxviii's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
clairelovestoread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sandraandthecity's review against another edition
3.0
This book was difficult for me because I wanted to love it, and god knows it’s a beautiful looking book, but it left me disappointed. The story premise is great: a group of convict women being transported from England to Australia to serve out their sentences and while en route, there’s a murder. The book then becomes a “whodunnit”. Also, the book is based on a real story and artifact - the Rajah quilt - the object that inspired author Hope Adams to write the book. So with all these great things going for it, what was the problem?
Pacing, for one. Such an exciting sounding book should have you on the edge of your seat but a lot of the middle part was spent with very little developing at sea. It got boring, it dragged on, and at one point I wanted to put it down but kept reading because I wanted to know how it ended. There were also too many side characters. The best parts of the book dealt with 2 of the main characters - Clara and Hattie. The book would’ve been fantastic with their back stories alone. Another thing that frustrated me was that I was able to figure out the killer fairly quickly and the ending felt over the top and obvious.
However, despite its flaws, I did enjoy the book. Adams did an thorough job of researching the trip of the Rajah and the lives of the women onboard; her meticulous attention to detail was impressive. There are some jaw dropping twists in this tale and they’re what kept me going. Would I still recommend this book? On the whole, yes. It’s a good book that could’ve been great. I think that’s what frustrates me is that you know it could’ve been amazing, but you get the sense that this amazingness just kept eluding Adams - always almost within reach but never getting there. 3.25/5
Pacing, for one. Such an exciting sounding book should have you on the edge of your seat but a lot of the middle part was spent with very little developing at sea. It got boring, it dragged on, and at one point I wanted to put it down but kept reading because I wanted to know how it ended. There were also too many side characters. The best parts of the book dealt with 2 of the main characters - Clara and Hattie. The book would’ve been fantastic with their back stories alone. Another thing that frustrated me was that I was able to figure out the killer fairly quickly and the ending felt over the top and obvious.
However, despite its flaws, I did enjoy the book. Adams did an thorough job of researching the trip of the Rajah and the lives of the women onboard; her meticulous attention to detail was impressive. There are some jaw dropping twists in this tale and they’re what kept me going. Would I still recommend this book? On the whole, yes. It’s a good book that could’ve been great. I think that’s what frustrates me is that you know it could’ve been amazing, but you get the sense that this amazingness just kept eluding Adams - always almost within reach but never getting there. 3.25/5
georgemay's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
gdowning7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rojaed's review against another edition
3.0
This is an unusual historical mystery set on a ship carrying female convicts to Hobart . Some of the characters were historical figures (the non convicts in authority), but the convicts are fictional. The victim and murderer are amongst the women sewing a quilt, so there is a manageable list of suspects. Enjoyable setting and an interesting child's POV at the end. The book jumps in time and POV, but all is very clear through the chapter headings.