susan_c's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
An enjoyable read about a woman finding her place in early Australian society.
merimyers's review against another edition
3.0
This is a genre I usually enjoy and I have read several books based on this period of history with many of the same characters. However, I didn’t enjoy this book.
It’s written as diary entries, but rather than the diary entry of one person it’s a collection of events seen from everyone’s perspectives. It’s also told heavily in 3rd person with very little dialogue or even inner monologue. It reads more as non-fiction and is quite dry, taking me longer than usual to finish reading.
If you’re interested in their era I’d read something else, Nanberry by Jackie French or there’s another from the perspective of Elizabeth McArthur.
It’s written as diary entries, but rather than the diary entry of one person it’s a collection of events seen from everyone’s perspectives. It’s also told heavily in 3rd person with very little dialogue or even inner monologue. It reads more as non-fiction and is quite dry, taking me longer than usual to finish reading.
If you’re interested in their era I’d read something else, Nanberry by Jackie French or there’s another from the perspective of Elizabeth McArthur.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Esther was travelling with over a thousand other people to an unknown future in an unknown land.’
Esther Abrahams was aged only 16 when, in 1786, she was sentenced to transportation to Australia for stealing 24 yards of black silk lace. She was transported to Botany Bay as part of the First Fleet in 1788. Over time Esther rose to become one of the most prominent women in the colony.
Once on shore, Esther became the servant of first lieutenant George Johnston. Over time they became lovers. And when George Johnston became Lieutenant-Governor of NSW after the Rum Rebellion deposed Governor William Bligh in 1808, Esther was the leading woman in the colony for a period of seven months. In the 1828 census, some five years after the death of George Johnston, she appeared as a free settler in possession of 2460 acres (996 ha).
Ms North undertook her research for this book over a period of ten years, after first encountering Esther in a book about women in Australian history. The paragraph said that Esther had been a convict on the First Fleet and had later become First Lady of NSW. Ms North was intrigued: she thought that she would have heard of Esther if this was true.
While Ms North documents the known facts of Esther’s life from a number of different sources, little is known of her origin. She was tried in the Old Bailey as ‘Esther Abrahams’ but by the time of her marriage to George Johnston in 1814 she was known as ‘Esther Julian’. During her trial she was represented by a barrister, which was unusual at that time, and three people appeared in court to declare that she was of very good character. We do know that she was Jewish, she was convicted of stealing 24 years of black silk lace valued at 50 shillings, that she was sentenced to be ‘transported beyond the seas for seven years’, and that she was pregnant.
Ms North’s research enabled her to find out more about Esther and her imagination enabled her to bring Esther to life. Through Esther’s story, we meet several of the people who shaped the European settlement of Australia. An interesting read, which I’d recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the early European settlement of Australia.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Esther Abrahams was aged only 16 when, in 1786, she was sentenced to transportation to Australia for stealing 24 yards of black silk lace. She was transported to Botany Bay as part of the First Fleet in 1788. Over time Esther rose to become one of the most prominent women in the colony.
Once on shore, Esther became the servant of first lieutenant George Johnston. Over time they became lovers. And when George Johnston became Lieutenant-Governor of NSW after the Rum Rebellion deposed Governor William Bligh in 1808, Esther was the leading woman in the colony for a period of seven months. In the 1828 census, some five years after the death of George Johnston, she appeared as a free settler in possession of 2460 acres (996 ha).
Ms North undertook her research for this book over a period of ten years, after first encountering Esther in a book about women in Australian history. The paragraph said that Esther had been a convict on the First Fleet and had later become First Lady of NSW. Ms North was intrigued: she thought that she would have heard of Esther if this was true.
While Ms North documents the known facts of Esther’s life from a number of different sources, little is known of her origin. She was tried in the Old Bailey as ‘Esther Abrahams’ but by the time of her marriage to George Johnston in 1814 she was known as ‘Esther Julian’. During her trial she was represented by a barrister, which was unusual at that time, and three people appeared in court to declare that she was of very good character. We do know that she was Jewish, she was convicted of stealing 24 years of black silk lace valued at 50 shillings, that she was sentenced to be ‘transported beyond the seas for seven years’, and that she was pregnant.
Ms North’s research enabled her to find out more about Esther and her imagination enabled her to bring Esther to life. Through Esther’s story, we meet several of the people who shaped the European settlement of Australia. An interesting read, which I’d recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the early European settlement of Australia.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
kimswhims's review against another edition
4.0
A woman from The First Fleet. Her extraordinary story is simply told and with a little bit of creative indulgence with some of the filling in between facts. It is revealing to have a contemporary view of this part of history in light of contributions of women in history and also Indigenous relations.
Women in this time period who were often left to run family properties and provide for the family while the men were elsewhere. My own First and Second Fleet ancestors, while not alluded to by name in this book, were on Norfolk Island and later in Green Hills on The Hawkesbury. They are recognisable in some of these recollections.
Interactions between Indigenous people and Colonists are viewed with a current perspective. Especially, in the wake of revelations in Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe and The Biggest Estate on Earth by Bill Gammage I hope we see more of this.
The structure of the book is by date entry and at the end of the book there is an explanation of where the author filled in some historical gaps with a little bit of indulgent conjecture.
Well worth a read.
Women in this time period who were often left to run family properties and provide for the family while the men were elsewhere. My own First and Second Fleet ancestors, while not alluded to by name in this book, were on Norfolk Island and later in Green Hills on The Hawkesbury. They are recognisable in some of these recollections.
Interactions between Indigenous people and Colonists are viewed with a current perspective. Especially, in the wake of revelations in Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe and The Biggest Estate on Earth by Bill Gammage I hope we see more of this.
The structure of the book is by date entry and at the end of the book there is an explanation of where the author filled in some historical gaps with a little bit of indulgent conjecture.
Well worth a read.
leannep's review
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
3.75
Well researched. An interesting companion read to Kate Grenville's A Room made of Leaves about Elizabeth Macarthur. Pedestrian in places. I learnt much about the early settlement of Australia.
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