bought from bargin book supplier at work.

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...

After having loved Kate Grenville's novel The idea of Perfection, I was looking forward to reading this book, which I knew was very different. I feel as if I should have enjoyed it more than I did. There isn't any light moments in this dark tale of a man transported to New South Wales in 1806. The clash between the Aboriginal people, the Thornhills, and their river neighbours, when it comes makes for difficult reading.

RELEASE NOTES:

Will be released at the Birmingham meet up.

Taken from the meetup to be released on the way home as part of the Never Judge a Book By Its cover challenge.

RELEASE NOTES:

In a planter outside Caffe Nero.

This book was released for the Never Judge A Book By Its Cover release challenge, Week 16 (modes of transport). There is a picture of a rowing boat on the cover.