The Secret River
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On Sale:
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11/01/2007
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Formats:
Trade paperback | E-Book
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A life of petty crime and poverty on the streets of 19th-century
London sentences William Thornhill—along with his wife and children—to exile in
the colonial outpost of Australia. But among the convicts of New South Wales
there is a whisper of the possibility of freedom, away from Sydney and up the
Hawkesbury River, for those who dare to stake a claim.
In a richly layered epic that recalls such international modern
classics as The True History of the Kelly Gang, Kate Grenville tells the
heart- renching story of a family in exile. Sweeping across the 19th century,
from the teeming banks of the Thames in London to the hardscrabble frontier
settlement of Sydney, Australia, The Secret River sets us down in an
unforgiving land and masterfully confronts us with the brutal price of
colonization.
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Author Extras
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Awards for The Secret River |
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The Commonwealth Writers'' Prize
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The Commonwealth Writers'' Prize
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Booker
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Critical Praise for
The Secret River
"A vivid and moving portrayal of poverty and struggle and the search for peace."
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The Independent
"A writer of extraordinary talent."
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The New York Times
"An outstanding study of cultures in collision.... A Chilling, meticulous account of the sorrows and evils of colonialism."
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The Guardian
"In this historical epic, Grenville masterfully creates three distinct and entirely believable worlds, [and] cranks up the tension to breathtaking levels. The numerous fears of the settlers are palpable....How they eventually come to terms with those fears is the story of Australia itself."
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The Globe and Mail
"In spare, unpretentious prose, Grenville charts the brutal truth that violence breeds violence....Splendidly paced, passionate and disturbing."
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The Times (UK)
"The Orange Prize winner presents a powerful protrait of the conflict between convicts and Aborigines....A sad book, beautifully written and, at times, almost unbearable with the weight of loss."
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The Observer (UK)
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Sarah Thornhill
When The Secret River , a novel about frontier violence in early Australia, appeared in 2005, it became an immediate bestseller—but it also caused controversy for its unflinching look at Australia’s history. It has since been published all over the world and translated into twenty languages. The...
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The Lieutenant
Set a quarter-century before The Secret River , at the very moment when the British arrive in Australia, The Lieutenant unveils one man’s struggle to find his place within this brand new world. In 1787, Lieutenant Thomas Rooke and the First Fleet, along with a cargo of convicts, set...
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Searching for the Secret River
The Secret River was Kate Grenville’s tour de force novel, an award-winning international bestseller that was also a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and the Miles Franklin A ward. And yet, this stunningly executed tale began life as a non-fiction book when Grenville embarked on a quest to...
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