The Secret River
Submitted by carabou on Mon, 2006-10-09 15:08.
Book
An excellent book that I couldn't put down and ended up reading instead of sleeping. The conflict the author felt regarding her founding australian ancestor who was both a victim of poverty and a ruthless invader comes across well, especially in describing the merciless killing of indigenous Australians. I felt she cast a little too much sympathy on the protagonist, and didn't go quite far enough to make this the classic it could have been, but it offered insight into the colonization of Australia that seemed authentic, without being too historical fiction-y. All in all, a good read.
 | The Secret River author: Kate Grenville rating:  asin: 1841957976 binding: Hardcover list price: $24.00 USD amazon price: $16.32 USD |
An excellent book that I couldn't put down and ended up reading instead of sleeping. The conflict the author felt regarding her founding australian ancestor who was both a victim of poverty and a ruthless invader comes across well, especially in describing the merciless killing of indigenous Australians. I felt she cast a little too much sympathy on the protagonist, and didn't go quite far enough to make this the classic it could have been, but it offered insight into the colonization of Australia that seemed authentic, without being too historical fiction-y. All in all, a good read.
