The Secret River by Kate Grenville

So, here we have an Orange Prize winning author attempting a stab at family history, with a dash of colonialism thrown in. 'The Secret River' is a remarkable thing, the tale of Kate's real life Ozzie ancestor William Thornhill, who gets deported to the convict colonies in Australia after being caught thieving. So here we have an author recreating her ancestors via an imagined plot based on the facts as known – so can she pull it off?
Yes. Grenville perfectly encapsulates Thornhill's struggle to survive, and depicts his battle for land ownership expressively. Diverse subjects such as the breakdown of family relations and the stifling atmosphere of eighteenth century London are described without qualms or precedent. There have been an number of astounding reviews for this novel – it was also Booker nominated and won the Commonwealth writer's prize - and they are most definitely deserved. However, Kate Grenville can overdose on description, which can feel evasive, as if the author isn't interested in getting to the flesh of the plot. Nevertheless, Grenville once again demonstrates her talent for weaving a story, and her ability to display the sometimes brutal truth is a fact that cannot be ignored when confronted with this book. [Claire Mapletoft]