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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
***These are my random thoughts after finishing the book for me to save as personal notes (because I can't see an option to make my review private). Some of the thoughts are an overall review of the book, or any questions/feelings that nagged at me throughout. There will almost definitely be spoilers. Read at your own risk.*** ‐----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.5 stars down
Almost more of a mystery
Very sad history overall
Not sure how I feel about the ending
Some descriptive passages were written really well
3.5 stars down
Almost more of a mystery
Very sad history overall
Not sure how I feel about the ending
Some descriptive passages were written really well
I was attracted to this book by it's setting. The West Australian early pearling industry was like another planet where only the adventurous or the desperate found themselves. This book captures the remoteness and the isolation of the town and how the mis-matched residents live together.
A really good read, however I felt it was a little flat, and I had to stop from skimming towards the end.
Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter by Lizzie Pook is an outstanding debut novel! The writing is wonderful! Set in the latter part of the 19th century in a harsh, unforgiving and at times violent Western Australia and a pace that is never ending! Eliza Brightwellwas an amazing character to follow. She's strong, independent and loyal! I found myself completely immersed in this vibrant, rich and atmospheric story! It's a harsh but absolutely amazing story!
This is a very atmospheric book that truly transports you to western Australia in the 1800s. Eliza is a wonderful main character. She doesn't confirm to societal norms and is full of resourcefulness, bravery and a wonderful attitude to life. I wasn't very taken with the flow of the story and the other characters were hard to relate to or to be much interested in, but the descriptive style of writing was so heartwarming (and sometimes revolting) that it was still an enjoyable and memorable read.
Eliza Brightwell is a young British girl whose family moved to a remote pearling community in Western Australia ten years earlier. When her father - master pearl and amateur naturalist - goes missing she knows she can only rely on herself to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Eliza is both headstrong and has something to prove.
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a strong female lead. There are echoes of Where the Crawdads Sing in the key role played by the flora and fauna of the harsh but beautiful landscape of Western Australia. This is a meticulously researched novel and I was fascinated to learn more about the pearling industry and Australia's colonial past - both competitive and dangerous spaces to inhabit.
A solid debut by Lizzie Pook - definitely one to watch!
I received an advanced copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a strong female lead. There are echoes of Where the Crawdads Sing in the key role played by the flora and fauna of the harsh but beautiful landscape of Western Australia. This is a meticulously researched novel and I was fascinated to learn more about the pearling industry and Australia's colonial past - both competitive and dangerous spaces to inhabit.
A solid debut by Lizzie Pook - definitely one to watch!
I received an advanced copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting read about Australia and the pearling industry. Some parts of the story did not mesh as well for me. I liked Eliza and her determination, though.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What first drew me to Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter was the shiny cover that is brimming with clues to the story within.
Once inside the book, Victorian-era Australia comes alive in vivid descriptions of both the beautiful and the ugly – of Eliza’s father’s study and the objects within that spark her memories and the harsh, Western Australian desert where the dust is inescapable.
Eliza is a fantastic and complex character. She’s a woman of intelligence, but this brings her up against the restrictions placed on her because of her sex, and also into opposition with the women of Bannin Bay, with whom she is unable to fit in. She carries a huge amount of guilt for events in her past, but perhaps her search for her father can free her of this guilt.
The background of the novel, its setting among the Australian pearl industry, is completely new to me, so it was interesting to find out more about it – the beauty and value of natural pearls, weighed up against the human cost of the industry. There’s much more to read about this!
The main focus of the book is Eliza’s father’s disappearance, and the mystery there unravels in unpredictable ways, but there are so many layers to this book; family, colonialism, racism, feminism all weave seemlessly into the story with such a delicate hand, it’s incredible that this is a debut novel!
Once inside the book, Victorian-era Australia comes alive in vivid descriptions of both the beautiful and the ugly – of Eliza’s father’s study and the objects within that spark her memories and the harsh, Western Australian desert where the dust is inescapable.
Eliza is a fantastic and complex character. She’s a woman of intelligence, but this brings her up against the restrictions placed on her because of her sex, and also into opposition with the women of Bannin Bay, with whom she is unable to fit in. She carries a huge amount of guilt for events in her past, but perhaps her search for her father can free her of this guilt.
The background of the novel, its setting among the Australian pearl industry, is completely new to me, so it was interesting to find out more about it – the beauty and value of natural pearls, weighed up against the human cost of the industry. There’s much more to read about this!
The main focus of the book is Eliza’s father’s disappearance, and the mystery there unravels in unpredictable ways, but there are so many layers to this book; family, colonialism, racism, feminism all weave seemlessly into the story with such a delicate hand, it’s incredible that this is a debut novel!