A review by iwanttoreadallthebooks
Fled by Meg Keneally

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.