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A review by rachyarra
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
4.0
This story is confronting as much as it is exquisite. If you have been to the Hawkesbury area, even today, it is stunning and mysterious. I recall hiking from Wiseman’s Ferry up the old convict roads and it is hard not to marvel at the men and women that survived out here, both the aboriginal populations for hundreds of years and for these new colonial settlers.
Grenville has done a lot of research to create the story and the main character is based on her great grandfather Solomon Wiseman (Wiseman’s Ferry) who was transported in 1806 for stealing timber and then after being pardoned took up land. It must have been an incredibly hard history to face, the truth of the amount of violence that must have occurred.
This story, slowly unfurls as the tale of so much of our history in Australia, of invasion and shocking cruelty. Grenville takes her time with the writing and as each day goes by and each page is turned you feel the growing tension between the native land owners and these new settlers.
I think, now looking back at when I started this book, I didn’t want to finish it when I was travelling on Hawkesbury because I wasn’t yet ready for the full impact of the sorrow and evil done to the native aboriginals. There is such magnificent allure in the river and the bush that still occupies much of its banks, and while I lightly knew of the history of the area, I wanted to appreciate and revel in the river – its peace and serenity – during a period of my life that was hectic and busy.
I am glad now that I have fully immersed myself into this book and can reflect properly on both the beauty and the sad history of the Hawkesbury. It is an important part of our history and Grenville does a beautiful job bringing it to life.
This book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2006 and was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in the same year.
Grenville has done a lot of research to create the story and the main character is based on her great grandfather Solomon Wiseman (Wiseman’s Ferry) who was transported in 1806 for stealing timber and then after being pardoned took up land. It must have been an incredibly hard history to face, the truth of the amount of violence that must have occurred.
This story, slowly unfurls as the tale of so much of our history in Australia, of invasion and shocking cruelty. Grenville takes her time with the writing and as each day goes by and each page is turned you feel the growing tension between the native land owners and these new settlers.
I think, now looking back at when I started this book, I didn’t want to finish it when I was travelling on Hawkesbury because I wasn’t yet ready for the full impact of the sorrow and evil done to the native aboriginals. There is such magnificent allure in the river and the bush that still occupies much of its banks, and while I lightly knew of the history of the area, I wanted to appreciate and revel in the river – its peace and serenity – during a period of my life that was hectic and busy.
I am glad now that I have fully immersed myself into this book and can reflect properly on both the beauty and the sad history of the Hawkesbury. It is an important part of our history and Grenville does a beautiful job bringing it to life.
This book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2006 and was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in the same year.