The Secret River

William Thornhill is a convict travelling to Australia with his family. Although they originally dream of returning to England, Will becomes increasingly seduced by the wild seemingly uninhabited Australian landscape. The idea of actually "owning" so much land is so tempting, that he moves his family out into the dark wilderness...

Although there is a lot of controversy regarding whether or not this form of historical fiction is appropriate (see below), this is a very readable and enjoyable read - especially given that it was something that I had to read for work.

The story begins in a "warm and fuzzy" way - Thornhill is a likeable character and the story of his poverty in England and escape from the hangman's noose is genuinely engaging. We begin to see changes upon his arrival in Australia where the "white man's lust for land and power" becomes evident. Thornhill is inspired by a piece of land "the shape of a man's thumb", and endangers his family by taking them to such a remote location - even though he knows that he wife Sal (who is the centre of his world for the first half of the novel) wants nothing more than to return home.

This is where the story begins to change, and we begin to see how a man as likeable as Thornhill could be responsible for the atrocities that occurred to the Aboriginals upon white settlement. I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but we certainly get a look into the heart of darkness and avarice.

This is a book with a political conscience - it is "researched", not based on fact. Grenville's ancestor's inspire many of the characters of the novel, but it is pure inspiration. Not history. Although one could argue that this is the true essence of historical fiction - you can only guarantee it's accuracy to a certain extent, especially when we start to interpret characters.

Definitely worth a read - and I don't say that often about Australian Literature.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/bwriting/stories/s1414510.htm

http://kimbofo.typepad.com/readingmatters/2006/10/the_secret_rive.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/reviews/the-secret-river/2005/07/08/1120704543439.html