The Secret River

The Secret River, written by Kate Grenville in 2005, is a historical fiction about an early 19th century Englishman transported to Australia for theft. The story begins with an insightful flashback to England, and goes on to explore issues surrounding the question of what might have happened when Europeans colonised land already inhabited by Aboriginal people. According to a review in The Telegraph, The Secret River has more action than Grenville... more

The Secret River, written by Kate Grenville in 2005, is a historical fiction about an early 19th century Englishman transported to Australia for theft. The story begins with an insightful flashback to England, and goes on to explore issues surrounding the question of what might have happened when Europeans colonised land already inhabited by Aboriginal people. According to a review in The Telegraph, The Secret River has more action than Grenville's previous novel,The Idea of Perfection. The book is also one of careful observation and vividly imagines an early Australian landscape with rich precision. The book has been compared to Thomas Keneally's The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith and to Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang for its style and historical theme. The Secret River was inspired by Grenville's desire to understand "what had happened when [her ancestor, Solomon] Wiseman arrived ... [on the Hawkesbury River at the area now known as Wiseman's Ferry] and started the... less