In 1806 William Thornhill, an illiterate English bargeman and a man of quick temper but deep compassion, steals a load of wood and, as a part of his lenient sentence, is deported, along with his beloved wife, Sal, to the New South Wales colony in what would become Australia. The Secret River is the tale of William and Sal’s deep love for their small, exotic corner of the new world, and William’s … William’s gradual realization that if he wants to make a home for his family, he must forcibly take the land from the people who came before him. Acclaimed around the world, The Secret River is a magnificent, transporting work of historical fiction.
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How eloquently this novel’s narrative illustrates the cultural schism between European settlers and the indigenous Australians. Not only could they not speak a common language, their views of the earth, how it was to be used and shared, how a person was to live, couldn’t have been more polarised. Inevitably this led to a complete breakdown of …
This is a wonderful tale, born from the author’s delving into her family history & it’s evident that she has put heart & soul into the telling of the story. I have actually read this book twice, a few months apart, as I wanted to see if I enjoyed it as much second time around. It’s worthy of a third & fourth read too, as the essence was still …
This is how books should be written. I learned a lot from its voice and style. Splendid. The kind of writing that makes you pause, reread, and savor.
The story takes place in the early 1800s in London, from which William Thornhill will be sent to Australia on a convict ship. The cinematic detail and the perspectives of the richly shared lives …
A wonderful story set in Australia in the early nineteenth century when convicts were transported to Australia with no hope of return. It is based on Grenville’s own family story and is one of those books that you remember forever.
This story of a family sentenced for a crime to Australia at the beginning of the nineteenth century is one of the most beautifully written things I’ve ever read. The sights, the smells, the sounds of the London slums are only the beginning. I felt sad and furious at the poverty and injustice– the strongest reaction I’ve had since Zola’s …
Started good but ended slow.
Well written.
This was a beautiful novel. If I were still teaching, I would use it in my postcolonial lit course. I valued its nuanced portrait of colonialism, the colonists, and the indigenous people. The language was evocative and poetic. I found it haunting and have recommended it to friends.
Cost too much money.
Very well written. Beautiful language. Great story.