A review by smalltownbookmom
Dangerous Women by Hope Adams

3.0

3.5 - This story takes place almost exclusively on board the transport ship Rajah in 1841, bringing almost 200 female convicts to Van Diem’s land in the Australian colony. I liked the historical ties to an actual voyage and that the embroidery the women work on during the voyage actually exists in an Australian museum. However, the story overall seemed a little too positive for what was no doubt a very horrible experience for the women. The author touches on some of the women’s hardships and there’s a murder mystery that slowly gets solved as the novel progresses. It was really difficult not to compare the book to The exiles by Christina Baker Kline - another book about female convicts sent to Australia and it just didn’t quite live up to the depth and historical accuracy of that book. Still an okay and entertaining read, just not as much attention to historical accuracy and realism as I was hoping for. I was also disappointed we didn’t get to see anything of the women’s lives once they arrived in the colony.