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kate_can's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Fled is based on the life of Mary (Dabby) Bryant, the woman behind one of history’s most daring escapes. Sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia, she escaped from the colony and sailed over 3,000 miles for 66 days in a stolen open boat with her husband, two children and other companions to West Timor (Coepang as it was then called). Here she was discovered, arrested and returned to Britain to be incarcerated until she was taken up as a cause célèbre by James Boswell who set her up in a house and sent her a stipend after she returned to Cornwall. In an Author’s Note, Meg Keneally stresses that this is a work of fiction, which is why she has changed some elements of the story, including names of the characters – Mary Bryant becomes Jenny Trelawny, later Gwynn after marrying Dan Gwynn.
The first part of the novel concerns Jenny’s route to crime and the highway robbery for which she was transported to the other side of the world. There is a detailed account of that trip on the Charlotte, on which she conceives and after which her daughter is named. She befriends Captain James Corbett, whose character is based on that of Watkin Tench, who tells her, “We don’t need to remake Newgate on the other side of the world. Well, I imagine there will be a guard house, or something like it. I’m sure that not everybody has left their criminal disposition back in England. But the entire place is intended as a prison. We’ll have no need of walls for the most part, it is to be hoped. We’ll have the ocean.”
Life in this colony is brutish and cruel, as it is intended to be, in a land that must seem upside-down. The triangle that is used for the floggings is “an ominous symbol, a profane and subverted trinity.” To save herself from rape and degradation by the male convicts and soldiers, she marries Dan and has another child, Emmanuel (these were the real names of Mary Bryant’s children). Married couples are given separate quarters but others, jealous of what they perceive to be her advantages, strive to bring her low. When their actions result in Jenny being expelled to the women’s camp, she reflects, “While space was the only blessing this colony provided in abundance, it was one of the many denied to the hut convicts. Jenny now lived in a place of wails and screams and sobs and fights, of stench upon stench, of dangers buried in innocent conversation.”
From the moment she lands in Botany Bay, Jenny knows she wants to leave, and it soon becomes apparent that their best chance of survival is escape. Food is scarce, supply ships are absent, farming is in its infancy, and provisions are rapidly dwindling; making theft of food a hanging offence and starving to death a distinct possibility. Perhaps if the settlers had collaborated with the local people they might have had better chances of survival, but there is limited interaction between the white settlers and the Indigenous tribes. Jenny encounters an Aboriginal woman who shows her what leaves to chew or to brew to avoid scurvy. Although these are plentiful, Jenny guards this knowledge as currency, as she does when the Indigenous people take her fishing and share their methods with her.
Questions have been asked as to why Mary Bryant would risk a journey for herself and her children on the ocean and potential drowning. As well as starvation, the new colony is rife with disease (particularly smallpox) and the dangers to the women convicts are manifold. “Emmanuel’s death at sea is a possibility. His death here is nigh on certain.”
Much of the action of the novel takes place on the water, either in the Charlotte, or the cutter in which Jenny and her companions make their escape. These seafaring experiences are described in some length, which is both terrifying and tedious as indeed it must have been in reality. When they land, Dan’s bragging of his expertise at sailing the boat back to Coepang, leads to them being discovered and their subsequent arrest. The governor who had supported them and admired their skill and courage when he thought they were shipwrecked, turns against them when he learns they are escaped convicts, because he is angry that he has been cheated and make to look a fool; he fears for his reputation and “Laughter, laughter on the seas as the story spreads about the dupe of a governor.” Jenny is frequently at the mercy of men and their egos.
Eventually she returns to her family in Cornwall. She had been afraid of their reaction, but they are thrilled to see her and welcome her back, so the story has come full circle. This is one of the bits that the author has invented, but it makes for a satisfying conclusion. Mary Bryant’s adventure is a fascinating story and, although she has changed the names to compensate for lack of certain facts, Meg Keneally has told it with drama and compassion.
jillianbald's review against another edition
Fled is a fictional tale of real life convict and heroine Mary Bryant, and her ordeal when sent to the newly settled English colony of Australia.
In the novel, Mary is called Jenny. The dramas and setbacks the characters faced could have broken anyone, real or fictional, but Jenny persevered to gain her freedom.
Jenny was meant to be a sympathetic heroine. She was an example of the unjust plight of women in the 18th century Western world. Jenny was a fighter, for herself and her babies.
I had expected to be more connected to Jenny and her struggle than I was. As a fictional story, the opportunity was there to really tug at a reader's heartstrings. I yearned for more emotional struggle and insight from the major characters on the pages; more detailed and colorful descriptions of the dangerous new world where Jenny and the others were dumped; more anguish and drama for their desperate situation.
*** This next paragraph is about the how the book ends.***
There isn’t a lot known about Mary Bryant’s true demise, except she did make it back to England—broken and practically feral. Meg Keneally noted that she gave Jenny “the ending I feel Mary deserves” in the epilogue. The conclusion would have felt more authentic without this final Cinderella ending, considering how broken Jenny must have been, both physically and mentally. The happily ever after seemed mismatched. Jenny lived in a dog-eat-dog world where the underdogs didn’t come out on top. I would have been satisfied with a more dramatic “winner-loses-all” outcome for Jenny and her fellow convicts.
In the novel, Mary is called Jenny. The dramas and setbacks the characters faced could have broken anyone, real or fictional, but Jenny persevered to gain her freedom.
Jenny was meant to be a sympathetic heroine. She was an example of the unjust plight of women in the 18th century Western world. Jenny was a fighter, for herself and her babies.
I had expected to be more connected to Jenny and her struggle than I was. As a fictional story, the opportunity was there to really tug at a reader's heartstrings. I yearned for more emotional struggle and insight from the major characters on the pages; more detailed and colorful descriptions of the dangerous new world where Jenny and the others were dumped; more anguish and drama for their desperate situation.
*** This next paragraph is about the how the book ends.***
There isn’t a lot known about Mary Bryant’s true demise, except she did make it back to England—broken and practically feral. Meg Keneally noted that she gave Jenny “the ending I feel Mary deserves” in the epilogue. The conclusion would have felt more authentic without this final Cinderella ending, considering how broken Jenny must have been, both physically and mentally. The happily ever after seemed mismatched. Jenny lived in a dog-eat-dog world where the underdogs didn’t come out on top. I would have been satisfied with a more dramatic “winner-loses-all” outcome for Jenny and her fellow convicts.
courtlane's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
thebooktrail88's review
5.0
Visit the locations in the novel
I love stories which mix fact and fiction. When they do it this well, I almost want to hug the book.
This is a fictional account of the true story of Mary Bryant, a convict who was sent by boat to the colony in NSW, Australia. Her life, from her time living in Cornwall, and then Plymouth is documented first. There is little known of the real Mary Bryant so this helps to visualise her and her life before the journey to the colony. The court scenes in particular reveal the level and methods of justice metered out at the time. This part of the novel is an addition we are told, yet you can imagine this is very realistic and insightful.
For me, once Jenny (the character’s name in the book) was on board the ship, the book revealed yet another side of this thrilling and dangerous story. The journey took weeks and was very uncomfortable. It was fascinating to be on that ship with the convicts and you can feel their fear of the unknown. Conditions were poor and the journey endless. All was well evoked with the five senses. I almost felt seasick, it was that good.
That’s not even the most eventful part of the story. Mary Bryant has a baby on board. Once at the colony, she and a few others plan their escape. This new journey takes them some 69 days and takes them to Indonesia. I won’t say what happens next but it was a fascinating account of one woman’s efforts to evade justice. I became very keen to see her escape, despite her status as a prisoner. The strength and perseverance of this woman back then was admirable. Is this the right word for describing a fugitive? Probably not. But Mary/Jenny was that kind of character for me.
What a wonderfully adventurous novel. For a debut, this is particularly stunning. Woven with style, built on solid research and an insight into times past. High jinks on the High Seas.
mrfoley25's review
4.0
A good bit of historical fiction about a woman most don't want us knowing about.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
5.0
‘A girl of torn skirts and wet feet, a creature of the sea as her sister was a product of the hearth.’
Cornwall, 1783. Jenny Trelawney’s father is a fisherman, and Jenny has helped him. But when he dies at sea, the Trelawneys are forced to sell the boat. They need the money. But the money doesn’t last long, and Jenny’s mother is too full of grief to pay attention to the laundry she used to take in for payment. Jenny’s sister is in service, but Jenny’s too restless. She becomes a highwaywoman – until her luck runs out. Tried, convicted and sentenced to death, Jenny’s sentence is commuted to seven years transportation. She is amongst the convicts transported to New South Wales on the First Fleet in 1787, arriving in January 1788.
‘Rumours, of course, were as contagious as any disease down in the darkness, fed by boredom until they grew grotesque.’
Once in New South Wales, with her baby daughter Charlotte, she marries Dan Glyn, a fisherman. And, as famine threatens the small settlement, Jenny believes that escape is necessary, in order to survive. Jenny and her daughter Charlotte, her husband Dan and their son Emmanuel, together with a handful of other convicts, plan their escape. They set off in a small boat to travel some 5,000 kilometres to Coepang (on the island of Timor, then under the control of the Dutch). But this is only part of Jenny’s journey.
‘There was the salt and the air.’
This is Meg Keneally’s debut solo novel and was inspired by the extraordinary life of Mary Bryant. If you know Mary Bryant’s story, you’ll have some idea where this novel will take you. But whether you know Mary Bryant’s story or not, be prepared for a totally absorbing story. Ms Keneally brings both characters and place to life: I can feel Jenny’s fierce need to protect her children and I can see how very alien Sydney Cove would have seemed. I wonder who will survive, and what will happen next.
I read this novel twice: first in paperback and then as an electronic review copy. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in reading well-written historical fiction.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Cornwall, 1783. Jenny Trelawney’s father is a fisherman, and Jenny has helped him. But when he dies at sea, the Trelawneys are forced to sell the boat. They need the money. But the money doesn’t last long, and Jenny’s mother is too full of grief to pay attention to the laundry she used to take in for payment. Jenny’s sister is in service, but Jenny’s too restless. She becomes a highwaywoman – until her luck runs out. Tried, convicted and sentenced to death, Jenny’s sentence is commuted to seven years transportation. She is amongst the convicts transported to New South Wales on the First Fleet in 1787, arriving in January 1788.
‘Rumours, of course, were as contagious as any disease down in the darkness, fed by boredom until they grew grotesque.’
Once in New South Wales, with her baby daughter Charlotte, she marries Dan Glyn, a fisherman. And, as famine threatens the small settlement, Jenny believes that escape is necessary, in order to survive. Jenny and her daughter Charlotte, her husband Dan and their son Emmanuel, together with a handful of other convicts, plan their escape. They set off in a small boat to travel some 5,000 kilometres to Coepang (on the island of Timor, then under the control of the Dutch). But this is only part of Jenny’s journey.
‘There was the salt and the air.’
This is Meg Keneally’s debut solo novel and was inspired by the extraordinary life of Mary Bryant. If you know Mary Bryant’s story, you’ll have some idea where this novel will take you. But whether you know Mary Bryant’s story or not, be prepared for a totally absorbing story. Ms Keneally brings both characters and place to life: I can feel Jenny’s fierce need to protect her children and I can see how very alien Sydney Cove would have seemed. I wonder who will survive, and what will happen next.
I read this novel twice: first in paperback and then as an electronic review copy. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in reading well-written historical fiction.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
‘A girl of torn skirts and wet feet, a creature of the sea as her sister was a product of the hearth.’
Cornwall, 1783. Jenny Trelawney’s father is a fisherman, and Jenny has helped him. But when he dies at sea, the Trelawneys are forced to sell the boat. They need the money. But the money doesn’t last long, and Jenny’s mother is too full of grief to pay attention to the laundry she used to take in for payment. Jenny’s sister is in service, but Jenny’s too restless. She becomes a highwaywoman – until her luck runs out. Tried, convicted and sentenced to death, Jenny’s sentence is commuted to seven years transportation. She is amongst the convicts transported to New South Wales on the First Fleet in 1787, arriving in January 1788.
‘Rumours, of course, were as contagious as any disease down in the darkness, fed by boredom until they grew grotesque.’
Once in New South Wales, with her baby daughter Charlotte, she marries Dan Glyn, a fisherman. And, as famine threatens the small settlement, Jenny believes that escape is necessary, in order to survive. Jenny and her daughter Charlotte, her husband Dan and their son Emmanuel, together with a handful of other convicts, plan their escape. They set off in a small boat to travel some 5,000 kilometres to Coepang (on the island of Timor, then under the control of the Dutch). But this is only part of Jenny’s journey.
‘There was the salt and the air.’
This is Meg Keneally’s debut solo novel and was inspired by the extraordinary life of Mary Bryant. If you know Mary Bryant’s story, you’ll have some idea where this novel will take you. But whether you know Mary Bryant’s story or not, be prepared for a totally absorbing story. Ms Keneally brings both characters and place to life: I can feel Jenny’s fierce need to protect her children and I can see how very alien Sydney Cove would have seemed. I wonder who will survive, and what will happen next.
I read this novel twice: first in paperback and then as an electronic review copy. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in reading well-written historical fiction.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Cornwall, 1783. Jenny Trelawney’s father is a fisherman, and Jenny has helped him. But when he dies at sea, the Trelawneys are forced to sell the boat. They need the money. But the money doesn’t last long, and Jenny’s mother is too full of grief to pay attention to the laundry she used to take in for payment. Jenny’s sister is in service, but Jenny’s too restless. She becomes a highwaywoman – until her luck runs out. Tried, convicted and sentenced to death, Jenny’s sentence is commuted to seven years transportation. She is amongst the convicts transported to New South Wales on the First Fleet in 1787, arriving in January 1788.
‘Rumours, of course, were as contagious as any disease down in the darkness, fed by boredom until they grew grotesque.’
Once in New South Wales, with her baby daughter Charlotte, she marries Dan Glyn, a fisherman. And, as famine threatens the small settlement, Jenny believes that escape is necessary, in order to survive. Jenny and her daughter Charlotte, her husband Dan and their son Emmanuel, together with a handful of other convicts, plan their escape. They set off in a small boat to travel some 5,000 kilometres to Coepang (on the island of Timor, then under the control of the Dutch). But this is only part of Jenny’s journey.
‘There was the salt and the air.’
This is Meg Keneally’s debut solo novel and was inspired by the extraordinary life of Mary Bryant. If you know Mary Bryant’s story, you’ll have some idea where this novel will take you. But whether you know Mary Bryant’s story or not, be prepared for a totally absorbing story. Ms Keneally brings both characters and place to life: I can feel Jenny’s fierce need to protect her children and I can see how very alien Sydney Cove would have seemed. I wonder who will survive, and what will happen next.
I read this novel twice: first in paperback and then as an electronic review copy. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in reading well-written historical fiction.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
krisis86's review
3.0
I liked this book and thought the story behind it was fascinating, but it seemed to just skim the surface. I didn't connect to the characters at all. I don't know much about boats so when Keneally described them as cutters I didn't know what that meant. I mean, it was a good book and well researched, I just wouldn't read it again.
iwanttoreadallthebooks's review
2.0
Fled by Meg Keneally is a historical fiction novel, based on the true story of Mary Bryant. It tells the story of Jenny Gwyn, who must save her family from poverty and starvation by becoming a highwaywoman. She is arrested and then condemned to death. But instead of being hanged, she is sentenced to be transported to Australia, England's new colony, to help settle it. On the journey by ship to Australia, she is forced to sell her body for protection. While Jenny hopes that Australia will be a fresh start, she quickly learns that this is not the case. Not only is the climate unforgiving, but she and others are also still prisoners under Governor Edward Lockharty. Jenny is desperate for her and her children's freedom and refuses to submit to the Governor. She escapes Australia in a small rowboat in a journey of over 3000 miles by sea.
I really wanted to like Fled. I usually enjoy historical fiction based on true stories, especially when they are based on heroines such as Mary Bryant. While it seems that other readers enjoyed this book, for some reason I didn't respond to or enjoy the author's style. I found the book hard to get through and started skimming through it. It didn't work for me but I can't pinpoint a precise reason. I will say that this book did not transport me to the time period and I did not feel as if the author made the reader an active participant in the story, which to me, is an important attribute of my favorite historical fiction novels.
Thank you to Netgalley and Arcade for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like Fled. I usually enjoy historical fiction based on true stories, especially when they are based on heroines such as Mary Bryant. While it seems that other readers enjoyed this book, for some reason I didn't respond to or enjoy the author's style. I found the book hard to get through and started skimming through it. It didn't work for me but I can't pinpoint a precise reason. I will say that this book did not transport me to the time period and I did not feel as if the author made the reader an active participant in the story, which to me, is an important attribute of my favorite historical fiction novels.
Thank you to Netgalley and Arcade for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.