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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
This is an excellent atmospheric glimpse into late 1800s Australian history. The vividly descriptive writing will have you smelling fish, sweating and swatting bugs. Such an oppressive time in history - women and the Aboriginees were valued as less than and were treated as such.
This story focuses on Eliza Brightwell,, daughter of Charles, who fled England with his family to join his brother in the Pearling business. He is smart, inventive and curious, albeit naive. He wants to see the best in people. He has taught Eliza to be so many of these things. Their relationship is full of mutual respect and love. We meet this family in the 1880s when they have first moved to Bannin Bay. The story then shifts to 1890s when the reader finds out that Charles has gone missing from the logger during a recent pearling expedition.
As Eliza searches for her father, who she can not believe has perished, she will need all the grit, persistence and courage she can summon. The pearling business was full of unsavory characters. Men only interested in money, and not at all concerned with the treatment of his those in his employ. I did not realize how dangerous the pearling was for the divers. The research done for this book was excellent. There were so many things I learned. I loved that Eliza was a strong female character. She relied on her gut and would not stop until she knew the truth. As she journeys into areas unknown, pieces of her history are revealed.
There were several unlikeable characters in this one. So many men whose lust for money overrode any sense of decency. I love when an author can make me feel strongly about characters. There were also several characters I was totally vested in, including Eliza, Min and Axel. Each one a multi-dimensional character. The first half of this book is a slow burn, describing the atmosphere of the town and about the pearling business. The second half picks up with more action and intrigue. The story contains several unexpected twists in the second half and has the reader flipping pages to see if Eliza has been searching in vain.
This was a very interesting and captivating historical fiction. I think many readers will enjoy this one! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy to read and review! Pub date: 6.07.22
This story focuses on Eliza Brightwell,, daughter of Charles, who fled England with his family to join his brother in the Pearling business. He is smart, inventive and curious, albeit naive. He wants to see the best in people. He has taught Eliza to be so many of these things. Their relationship is full of mutual respect and love. We meet this family in the 1880s when they have first moved to Bannin Bay. The story then shifts to 1890s when the reader finds out that Charles has gone missing from the logger during a recent pearling expedition.
As Eliza searches for her father, who she can not believe has perished, she will need all the grit, persistence and courage she can summon. The pearling business was full of unsavory characters. Men only interested in money, and not at all concerned with the treatment of his those in his employ. I did not realize how dangerous the pearling was for the divers. The research done for this book was excellent. There were so many things I learned. I loved that Eliza was a strong female character. She relied on her gut and would not stop until she knew the truth. As she journeys into areas unknown, pieces of her history are revealed.
There were several unlikeable characters in this one. So many men whose lust for money overrode any sense of decency. I love when an author can make me feel strongly about characters. There were also several characters I was totally vested in, including Eliza, Min and Axel. Each one a multi-dimensional character. The first half of this book is a slow burn, describing the atmosphere of the town and about the pearling business. The second half picks up with more action and intrigue. The story contains several unexpected twists in the second half and has the reader flipping pages to see if Eliza has been searching in vain.
This was a very interesting and captivating historical fiction. I think many readers will enjoy this one! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy to read and review! Pub date: 6.07.22
No booktrail or review yet as I have literary just finished this. Just wanted to give the author another 5 stars on here as the book is BRILLIANT. WOW, just wow.
Atmospheric
Very poignant
Caring and insightful about the local native peoples and their history
wonderfully evocative and poetic prose
Bling bling cover
Highly recommended!!!
Atmospheric
Very poignant
Caring and insightful about the local native peoples and their history
wonderfully evocative and poetic prose
Bling bling cover
Highly recommended!!!
I really enjoyed this book.
Drawn in by the cover and absolutely captured by the story.
There was a feeling of being fully immersed in the tale.
It was mysterious and there was a sense of magic simmering in the background.
I adored Eliza. Strong and independent. She was brave and determined throughout, not giving a second thought to how others saw her.
Beautifully mesmerising.
Highly recommended.
Drawn in by the cover and absolutely captured by the story.
There was a feeling of being fully immersed in the tale.
It was mysterious and there was a sense of magic simmering in the background.
I adored Eliza. Strong and independent. She was brave and determined throughout, not giving a second thought to how others saw her.
Beautifully mesmerising.
Highly recommended.
Do not read this if you are easily frightened by creepy crawlies or things big enough to swallow you whole! Just kidding. But this is set in Australia, and we have a whole lotta fauna that will kill you. And the author has picked some of the fun ones to describe in perfect clarity! Pook also captures the harshness of Australia, especially back in the 1800’s when people from all over the world were flocking to our shores in search of fortune.
Although this is a fictional story set in a fictional pearling town in Western Australia, the author has also captured the pure disgustingness (is that a word?) of how our traditional landowners were treated by white settlers. Still makes my skin crawl and my blood boil to read the treatment by some characters. I was also reminded that even during the most despicable part of our history there would have been some kindness from those who also disagreed with the view of many that it was “ok” to treat people the way they did.
That ending - how did I not pick up on that? I truly believed the tale set by some characters, and was not expecting the twist that came. I mean, in hindsight she was a bitch, and there was something off about her the whole time, but what the!
At first I didn’t think I’d like this - it started off a bit meh, but right where you might go “I’m done”, it takes a turn. And I just had to know how it ended! The writing is easy to read, flows nicely, but the descriptions of the places, the people, the animals are poetic - makes you want to google it and realise with horror that yes, redback spiders ARE as terrifying and horrible as described! (They are - I live in this beautiful, at times frightening country, and I can say hand on heart the spiders here will kill your heart just by looking at them).
Although this is a fictional story set in a fictional pearling town in Western Australia, the author has also captured the pure disgustingness (is that a word?) of how our traditional landowners were treated by white settlers. Still makes my skin crawl and my blood boil to read the treatment by some characters. I was also reminded that even during the most despicable part of our history there would have been some kindness from those who also disagreed with the view of many that it was “ok” to treat people the way they did.
That ending - how did I not pick up on that? I truly believed the tale set by some characters, and was not expecting the twist that came. I mean, in hindsight she was a bitch, and there was something off about her the whole time, but what the!
At first I didn’t think I’d like this - it started off a bit meh, but right where you might go “I’m done”, it takes a turn. And I just had to know how it ended! The writing is easy to read, flows nicely, but the descriptions of the places, the people, the animals are poetic - makes you want to google it and realise with horror that yes, redback spiders ARE as terrifying and horrible as described! (They are - I live in this beautiful, at times frightening country, and I can say hand on heart the spiders here will kill your heart just by looking at them).
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received this from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This is a well researched novel full of details about Australia's pearling industry - something that I knew absolutely nothing about. Lizzie Pook 's debut novel informs us of the way that the pearl-divers faced danger every time they set foot into the ocean, often for men who treated them with little respect. Against this backdrop, we meet the Brightwell family - Eliza, Thomas and their father, Charles, an amateur naturalist who has his own fleet and is one of the better master pearlers.
When Charles goes missing at sea, Eliza is desperate to find answers, to find him. Her brother is no help as he quickly disappears to another town and therefore Eliza is left to search alone. The author presents us with young woman who is strong and determined, a young woman who is not held back by her gender. We follow her as she searches for her father, assisted by a young adventurer, Alex, and here the author leads us through the landscape of Western Australia and shows us in vivid detail the creatures and the fauna that reside there.
Historical fiction is not a genre that I generally pick up, but I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying Eliza in her search. A super debut.
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the chance to read this.
This is a well researched novel full of details about Australia's pearling industry - something that I knew absolutely nothing about. Lizzie Pook 's debut novel informs us of the way that the pearl-divers faced danger every time they set foot into the ocean, often for men who treated them with little respect. Against this backdrop, we meet the Brightwell family - Eliza, Thomas and their father, Charles, an amateur naturalist who has his own fleet and is one of the better master pearlers.
When Charles goes missing at sea, Eliza is desperate to find answers, to find him. Her brother is no help as he quickly disappears to another town and therefore Eliza is left to search alone. The author presents us with young woman who is strong and determined, a young woman who is not held back by her gender. We follow her as she searches for her father, assisted by a young adventurer, Alex, and here the author leads us through the landscape of Western Australia and shows us in vivid detail the creatures and the fauna that reside there.
Historical fiction is not a genre that I generally pick up, but I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying Eliza in her search. A super debut.
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the chance to read this.
I really enjoyed this author debut historical fiction! The story takes place towards the end of the 1800s in Australia, in a town where the main industry is pearling. The focus of the book follows Eliza after her Master Pearler father goes missing at sea. Eliza believes he is still alive, and sets out with the help of some friends to find him.
There were some really interesting concepts within this book. The author did a good job of bringing to light how poorly the indigenous people were treated by the settlers in Western Australia during this time period. There was clearly racism going on, and this was shown through various events that occurred in the story.
My favourite part of this book was Eliza’s character. She was such a strong female lead, and was never afraid to do or say what she wanted. This was big for the time period, and was fascinating to watch her character development.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction, especially one with a bit of a mystery as well!
There were some really interesting concepts within this book. The author did a good job of bringing to light how poorly the indigenous people were treated by the settlers in Western Australia during this time period. There was clearly racism going on, and this was shown through various events that occurred in the story.
My favourite part of this book was Eliza’s character. She was such a strong female lead, and was never afraid to do or say what she wanted. This was big for the time period, and was fascinating to watch her character development.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction, especially one with a bit of a mystery as well!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter by Aussie author Lizzie Pook is a historical fiction set in Western Australia in 1886.
This is an outstanding debut novel that will capture the hearts of many readers, especially those who love historical fiction. Highly recommended.
This is an outstanding debut novel that will capture the hearts of many readers, especially those who love historical fiction. Highly recommended.
Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter is an atmospheric historical fiction debut from Lizzie Pook.
Set on the northern coast of Western Australia, Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter takes place during 1886. It’s in the fictional town of Bannin Bay that 20 year-old Eliza Brightwell awaits the return of her father and brother aboard their pearling lugger, the White Starling, after nine weeks at sea. When the ship finally sails in near dusk, its flag fluttering at half-mast, Eliza is told her beloved father disappeared overboard sometime during the previous night and is presumed dead. Eliza is devastated, and when the local constabulary immediately places blame upon one of her father’s most loyal divers, Eliza sets out to prove the man’s innocence, and learn the truth about her father’s fate.
With the early history of Australia’s pearling industry as a backdrop, Pook presents a story of mystery and adventure with a touch romance. It’s the disappearance of Charles Brightwell that dominates the plot as Eliza searches for information that will explain it, joined by Axel, a young German dry-sheller who offers Eliza his company. The quest leads the pair into a number of dangerous situations, including a harrowing sea journey on a lugger called Moonlight through shark and crocodile infested waters, providing some tense action and excitement. I’d guessed where the blame would ultimately fall, though not some of the reactions to it.
Eliza’s devotion to her family, despite the many flaws of Charles and Thomas, explains why she refuses to give up. An appealing heroine, it’s a little unlikely Eliza would be quite as capable as she seems to be in a couple of scenes for a young woman of her status during the time period, but her determination and daring is admirable.
It’s not exactly clear why Axel volunteers to accompany Eliza, other than he is a decent young man who seems to have admired Eliza from afar. Pook provides his character with an interesting background, but he felt somewhat underdeveloped.
Where the author excels with her vivid descriptions of the dry Kimberly landscape, the community’s streets and residents, and the changing conditions of the sea, effortlessly evoking harsh heat, salt air and crashing waves. Though I could clearly visualise Eliza’s environment, I would have liked to learn more about the daily operations of a pearling fleet. Pook does provide some general insight into the industry, and thoughtfully acknowledges the appalling treatment of First Nations people by the white settlers of the area.
Though I wasn’t wholly captivated by Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter, it is a solid debut, with a lot to recommend it.
Set on the northern coast of Western Australia, Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter takes place during 1886. It’s in the fictional town of Bannin Bay that 20 year-old Eliza Brightwell awaits the return of her father and brother aboard their pearling lugger, the White Starling, after nine weeks at sea. When the ship finally sails in near dusk, its flag fluttering at half-mast, Eliza is told her beloved father disappeared overboard sometime during the previous night and is presumed dead. Eliza is devastated, and when the local constabulary immediately places blame upon one of her father’s most loyal divers, Eliza sets out to prove the man’s innocence, and learn the truth about her father’s fate.
With the early history of Australia’s pearling industry as a backdrop, Pook presents a story of mystery and adventure with a touch romance. It’s the disappearance of Charles Brightwell that dominates the plot as Eliza searches for information that will explain it, joined by Axel, a young German dry-sheller who offers Eliza his company. The quest leads the pair into a number of dangerous situations, including a harrowing sea journey on a lugger called Moonlight through shark and crocodile infested waters, providing some tense action and excitement. I’d guessed where the blame would ultimately fall, though not some of the reactions to it.
Eliza’s devotion to her family, despite the many flaws of Charles and Thomas, explains why she refuses to give up. An appealing heroine, it’s a little unlikely Eliza would be quite as capable as she seems to be in a couple of scenes for a young woman of her status during the time period, but her determination and daring is admirable.
It’s not exactly clear why Axel volunteers to accompany Eliza, other than he is a decent young man who seems to have admired Eliza from afar. Pook provides his character with an interesting background, but he felt somewhat underdeveloped.
Where the author excels with her vivid descriptions of the dry Kimberly landscape, the community’s streets and residents, and the changing conditions of the sea, effortlessly evoking harsh heat, salt air and crashing waves. Though I could clearly visualise Eliza’s environment, I would have liked to learn more about the daily operations of a pearling fleet. Pook does provide some general insight into the industry, and thoughtfully acknowledges the appalling treatment of First Nations people by the white settlers of the area.
Though I wasn’t wholly captivated by Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter, it is a solid debut, with a lot to recommend it.