The Secret River
Registered by AnglersRest of Teignmouth, Devon United Kingdom on 9/30/2006
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by AnglersRest from Teignmouth, Devon United Kingdom on Saturday, September 30, 2006
Synopsis
This story is set in London, 1807. William Thornhill, happily wedded to his childhood sweetheart Sal, is a waterman on the River Thames. Life is tough but bearable until William makes a mistake, a bad mistake for which he and his family are made to pay dearly. His sentence: to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. The Thornhills arrive in this harsh and alien land that they cannot understand and which feels like a death sentence. But, among the convicts there is a rumour that freedom can be bought, that 'unclaimed' land up the Hawkesbury offers an opportunity to start afresh, far away from the township of Sydney. When William takes a hundred acres for himself, he is shocked to find Aboriginal people already living on the river. And other recent arrivals - Thomas Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan and Mrs. Herring - are finding their own ways to respond to them. Soon Thornhill, a man neither better nor worse than most, has to make the most difficult decision of his life...
This story is set in London, 1807. William Thornhill, happily wedded to his childhood sweetheart Sal, is a waterman on the River Thames. Life is tough but bearable until William makes a mistake, a bad mistake for which he and his family are made to pay dearly. His sentence: to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. The Thornhills arrive in this harsh and alien land that they cannot understand and which feels like a death sentence. But, among the convicts there is a rumour that freedom can be bought, that 'unclaimed' land up the Hawkesbury offers an opportunity to start afresh, far away from the township of Sydney. When William takes a hundred acres for himself, he is shocked to find Aboriginal people already living on the river. And other recent arrivals - Thomas Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan and Mrs. Herring - are finding their own ways to respond to them. Soon Thornhill, a man neither better nor worse than most, has to make the most difficult decision of his life...
Although a work of fiction, the storyline is based on one of the ancestors of the author. The storyline is about William Thornhill, a Londoner who worked on the Thames. He marries his childhood sweetheart and following being caught and tried for theft, is destined to be hung. The sentence is later commuted to transportation to New South Wales, where he and Sal, endure a life of hardship, but remain loving, strong and determined throughout.
A fascinating read for anyone who loves this period of London or Australian history, or perhaps like me has a convict ancestor.
A fascinating read for anyone who loves this period of London or Australian history, or perhaps like me has a convict ancestor.
Opened as a Book Ray. To take part please send me a PM.
The order of the list is subject to change based on mailing preferences and geography
Dorothyredboots - UK
Caffy - UK - International OK!
Vespa - UK
SwanofKennet - UK
Cross-Patch - UK
snoopy56 - UK
wyjane - UK
mallary - France - European post!
Heaven-Ali -UK - International OK!
VVilliam - USA - International OK(domestic preferred)
caligula03 - USA - International post OK!
ajsmom - Canada - International Post OK!
BellaMack - Australia - Australian post only!
CLOSED
Book Ray Rules (Adapted from psychjo & Kleptokitty)
1) Everybody should leave a journal entry when receiving the book and after the read! Please let us all know what you think about it...
2) Also PM the next person on the list for a mailing address and when that person doesn't answer within 7 days MAX! please PM the one after...
3) Everybody should also try to read the book soon (max - approx one month)
4) You can send the book via surface mail or airmail - that is completely up to you.
5) If you find you don't have the time to read it when it's your turn please PM and I'll move you to a later slot.
6) Any new members joining from now will be added to the end of the Ray
7) The last person on the list (subject to change)is free to do what they wish with the book.
Off on its travels to Dorothyredboots. I hope you enjoy it.
Journal Entry 5 by Dorothyredboots from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Arrived safely in the post today. Should be able to get to this pretty quickly - will start tomorrow with a bit of luck.
Journal Entry 6 by Dorothyredboots from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 18, 2006
This is by no means an uplifting book. Now that I have finished it I feel the need to read something more cheerful next! Grenville treats her subject matter with an objectivity which is admirable; the reader is left to make up his or her mind about the characters and the 'rightness' of the way they react to circumstances. Ideas of place, landscape, homeland and their relationship to identity are prominent in the book, issues which put me in mind of other colonial writing, particularly that of some Canadian writers.I found the subject matter very interesting as Australian history is not something I'm familiar with. The style of the book is very accessible, not necessarily the sort of prose that you can drown in but very well suited to the book as a whole (not having read anything else by this writer I don't know if this is her usual style or one she has chosen for this particular novel). I did find the use of italics within the text for all speech slightly irritating however. It is a bit of a page turner and the narrative is well sustained to the end. I flagged a bit towards the end, mainly because of the unremitting misery endured by all concerned, but partly because I usually do get irritable when I'm into the home straight of a book.
Off to find some fluffy chick lit now!
Off to find some fluffy chick lit now!
Journal Entry 7 by Dorothyredboots from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 19, 2006
Posted to Caffy yesterday. Enjoy!
Received The Secret River safe and sound. Might take me a few weeks to read it as I'm busy at the moment but will get to it asap.
Finished this one and enjoyed it very much indeed. It's quite sad in places but the historical detail is superb and the writing excellent. Thanks to Anglersrest for starting this ring. I have the book packaged up and ready to send to Vespa tomorrow.
arrived safely today. Will read as soon as I have finished my current book
I enjoyed this book for it's historical interest, especially as one of my husband's ancestors was a Thames waterman in the same period. It was a bit depressingly sad though, so now I need something lighter to lift my mood.
Just waiting for Swanof Kennet's address and it will be on its way
Posted on its way on 18th
Just waiting for Swanof Kennet's address and it will be on its way
Posted on its way on 18th
Sorry it's taken me so long. I started a while back, and I was even quite enjoying it, but then life intervened and I went right off reading for a while.
I polished it off this weekend, anyway.
The account of life amongst the Thames watermen in the last years of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth is vivid and alive; you can smell the river stench permeating the hovels of Bermondsey. When things go wrong for Will and Sal they end up in the penal colony of New South Wales, and the greater part of the book is an account of establishing a foothold in an alien world full of indigenous people with whom there is a communications barrier. In these circumstances, reaching an accommodation is trickier than embarking on a spiral of violence.
I'd count this as an enjoyable read, and a challenging one, but not one of the unforgettable greats.
On it's way to snoopy56 as soon as possible.
I polished it off this weekend, anyway.
The account of life amongst the Thames watermen in the last years of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth is vivid and alive; you can smell the river stench permeating the hovels of Bermondsey. When things go wrong for Will and Sal they end up in the penal colony of New South Wales, and the greater part of the book is an account of establishing a foothold in an alien world full of indigenous people with whom there is a communications barrier. In these circumstances, reaching an accommodation is trickier than embarking on a spiral of violence.
I'd count this as an enjoyable read, and a challenging one, but not one of the unforgettable greats.
On it's way to snoopy56 as soon as possible.
Journal Entry 13 by SwanOfKennet at Duke Street Post Office in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Released 16 yrs ago (8/29/2007 UTC) at Duke Street Post Office in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
On its way at last, having emerged from the general chaos of moving house.
Scooby56 has requested a swap of position with the next person in the ring, so it's going to cross-patch and should go to scooby56 next
On its way at last, having emerged from the general chaos of moving house.
Scooby56 has requested a swap of position with the next person in the ring, so it's going to cross-patch and should go to scooby56 next
Journal Entry 14 by 
Cross-patch
from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, September 3, 2007
Cross-patch from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, September 3, 2007
Thank you, it has arrived on a lovely sunny day. Looks like a lovely story to lose yourself in. I shall contact snoopy56 to pass it on.
Journal Entry 15 by Cross-patch from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 4, 2007
Cross-patch from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 4, 2007
This has been an interesting read for me, not least because I have discovered an interest in the events of this period of Australian history. My first contact was with Sara Dane by Catherine Gaskin, published in 1955, which I read with all the romantic notions of teen age, and then, more recently, with Matthew Kneale's English Passengers.
Sara Dane gave a romantic portrayal of the convict's lives and completely, according to my failing memory, failed to mention the native people. These last two novels though have given a tense, foreboding picture of their lives. The hopelessness of their situation is there on every page, particularly since the callousness of the lives of the convicts, both before and after their deportation, meant that there was unlikely ever to be a meeting of minds. A hard story well told, and I shall be looking for more Kate Grenville's in the future.
I have the next address but shall delay sending on until the postal strikes are over for this week.
Edited to add that I posted this book on the Thursday after the strike ended - 11th October.
Sara Dane gave a romantic portrayal of the convict's lives and completely, according to my failing memory, failed to mention the native people. These last two novels though have given a tense, foreboding picture of their lives. The hopelessness of their situation is there on every page, particularly since the callousness of the lives of the convicts, both before and after their deportation, meant that there was unlikely ever to be a meeting of minds. A hard story well told, and I shall be looking for more Kate Grenville's in the future.
I have the next address but shall delay sending on until the postal strikes are over for this week.
Edited to add that I posted this book on the Thursday after the strike ended - 11th October.
Journal Entry 16 by snoopy56 from Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby, Norfolk United Kingdom on Saturday, October 27, 2007
Have received the book from Cross-patch. I may take it with me on a trip to New Zealand ( via Sydney) so hopefully will have read it by the end of the month.
Journal Entry 17 by snoopy56 from Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby, Norfolk United Kingdom on Saturday, December 1, 2007
I really enjoyed this book especially as I was visiting Sydney while reading it ( brilliant timing !)so some of the places mentioned in the book I could recognise. Didn't have time to travel up the Hawkesbury which was a pity. It was interesting to contrast how the Maoris in New Zealand are much more integrated than the Aborigines in Australia. Will contact wyjane to pass on the book.
Received with thanks! Looking forward to reading it.
Journal Entry 19 by Mallary from Ginestas, Languedoc-Roussillon France on Wednesday, January 16, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was unlike any other I have read.
I felt enormous sympathy with the Aboriginal people in the story having to tolerate the invasion of these emancipates and their masters. The story is quite dark in places but not depressing, just indicative of the times and a fascinating insight into how Australia became the multi-national country that we know and love today.
Thank you for including me in the bookring AnglersRest, I will now prepare it for it's journey to Heaven-Ali.
I felt enormous sympathy with the Aboriginal people in the story having to tolerate the invasion of these emancipates and their masters. The story is quite dark in places but not depressing, just indicative of the times and a fascinating insight into how Australia became the multi-national country that we know and love today.
Thank you for including me in the bookring AnglersRest, I will now prepare it for it's journey to Heaven-Ali.
Heaven-Ali asked to be removed from the list long ago so now I will contact VVilliam and post it to the US.
EDIT 26/02/08: VViliam has asked to be skipped so now I will pm caligula03.
EDIT 26/02/08: VViliam has asked to be skipped so now I will pm caligula03.
caligula03 has asked to be skipped, now pming ajsmom.
Hooray! Caught today. I am looking forward to this book.
As noted by almost everyone else here, this was NOT an uplifting book. I liked her writing though - I loved how when Thornhill first finds the land he wants to make home, the trees are beautiful. Then after a period of time, they become threatening, and it's better to be "indoors" to shut out the night. There were lots of little bits of detail like this that I liked.
The Idea of Perfection will stay on my wishlist!
I will PM the last reader now and have this book on its' way asap.
The Idea of Perfection will stay on my wishlist!
I will PM the last reader now and have this book on its' way asap.
Received yesterday, thanks you ajsmom for posting the book on. I will release after reading probably via the Aussie Virtual Bookbag.
Journal Entry 25 by BellaMack at St Helens Neighbourhood House, Circassian St in St Helens, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (7/21/2010 UTC) at St Helens Neighbourhood House, Circassian St in St Helens, Tasmania Australia
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Releasing at St Helens Neighbourhood House
