Named one of 2021’s Most Anticipated Historical Novels by Oprah Magazine ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ and more!Nearly two hundred condemned women board a transport ship bound for Australia. One of them is a murderer. From debut author Hope Adams comes a thrilling novel based on the 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah, about confinement, hope, and the terrible things we do to survive.London, 1841. One … things we do to survive.
London, 1841. One hundred eighty Englishwomen file aboard the Rajah, embarking on a three-month voyage to the other side of the world.
They’re daughters, sisters, mothers—and convicts.
Transported for petty crimes.
Except one of them has a deadly secret, and will do anything to flee justice.
As the Rajah sails farther from land, the women forge a tenuous kinship. Until, in the middle of the cold and unforgiving sea, a young mother is mortally wounded, and the hunt is on for the assailant before he or she strikes again.
Each woman called in for question has something to fear: Will she be attacked next? Will she be believed? Because far from land, there is nowhere to flee, and how can you prove innocence when you’ve already been found guilty?
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Set on a transport ship filled with women prisoners in route to Australia. One of them is murdered and the suspects are many. The book is loosely based on a real transport journey of women prisoners who were taken to Tasmania in 1841. I don’t know what met them when they got there, but the author notes that she changed the name because their descendents are still there today.
The book was well written and original in concept. I love history and was interested in the time and place but I found it rather tedious reading at times but happy I finished it.
Thank you @netgalley & @berkleypub for this gifted ARC.
Did you know that this voyage actually happened, that the Rajah Quilt was really made and is hanging in the National Galley of Australia, and that several of the characters are based off real people from this voyage? How cool is that?! The author did take fictional liberties when it came to the story and the convicts; so while it’s based on history, it’s still fictional. The mystery surrounding the assault onboard is fictional but did add an interesting element to the story.
I found this story to be quite interesting but the first half was very slow. I actually contemplated walking away at several times. Once the story started to speed up though, it became quite engaging. While this book painted a good picture of the conditions the convicts lived in, I wanted to see more of their story and the troubles that they faced.
The story of a shipload of female convicts being sent to Tasmania from an English prison, drawing heavily on accurate history and building a fictional tale around the journey. I thought this book was breath-taking. Every character, every movement of the ship, the historical context, it’s all so well drawn. The research behind it is stunning and used with the lightest touch. Honestly, it was an absolute joy to read. If you like historical novels with great female characters, this is the book for you. Hope Adams has done an outstanding job with this. It’s a really magical read. Cannot recommend it highly enough. Truly, a picture painted with words.
I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Hope Adams, and Berkley Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Dangerous Women of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Hope Adams writes a tight tale with compassion and heart. She is an author I will follow.
This voyage of the Rajah, carrying 180+ women prisoners from London to Van Diemen’s Land, also known as Hobart’s Island (also known as Tasmania) in the Australian Islands, lasted but 105 days, from April 5, 1841, to July 19, 1841. Hope Adams give us those days, packed with details that color our world for the duration. The intersection of the worlds of the prisoners, their support matron, the ship’s doctor, and minister, and the crew of the Rajah, the various ladies’ attempts to move from life as a prisoner to a place of hope and growth are impressively presented. And the mystery is not obvious, even unto the end. This story is told in a back-and-forth pattern easily followed – chapters are labeled ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ for our convenience, Then being before the murder, Now being after. Each chapter is also from the perspective of one of the prisoners or their matron, Kezia Bertie, again named in the chapter heading and clearly outlining the personality and growing independence of these ladies. I am not always a fan of this type of delivery, but it works well in this tale.
Fiction based on historical fact is one of my favorite genres and extensive facts and sources are shared with us at the books ending. Hope Adams also shares with us the websites that feature the Rajah Quilt, the project designed by Kezia to bring these women together with one focus and perhaps a craft they can pursue once in Hobart. And there is such a quilt, displayed now at the National Gallery of Australia. Wikipedia has an excellent photo and details of this crossing as well.
It is hard to believe this is a debut novel. I can’t wait for Hope Adams’s next work!
Dangerous Women by Hope Adams is an excellent historical fiction that delves into the real-life transport of 180 women that were convicted of an array of crimes from England to, what is now called, Tasmania aboard The Rajah in 1841.
I knew of the transport of female citizens from England to Australia/NZ/Tasmania from prior books and research, but I had not specifically read anything about The Rajah. I found it fascinating to read about some of the actual individuals that traveled on the ship, as well as the stunning quilt that was sewn during their months out at sea.
I enjoyed the concept of interweaving a multitude of voices and characters into a flashback then and now timeline to help add to the additional murder/mystery that was infused into the historical fiction plot line. The way the author was able to take true events, true historic figures, and create a story that was all at once: gripping, poignant, sad, hopeful, suspenseful, and entertaining is impressive. It was hard to see how so many women ended up in this scenario through unlucky circumstances, necessity, and through no fault of their own. The small rays of hope and romance peppered in did help balance this out.
Through this book, I have already looked up several additional topics, and I am impressed with the author’s wonderful narrative that has inspired me to learn more.
5/5 stars
Thank you EW and Berkley for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/16/21.