Die a Dry Death

“Batavia fought and twisted against the grip on her keel. Jacobsz struggled to his feet on the deck. God verdomme. God vergloiende God verdomme. They’d hit something. A reef. It had to be a reef. Not a gentle sandbar, this.”

Based on a true story, Die a Dry Death is a fascinating historical adventure that ratchets up the tension with every turn of the page. Greta van der Rol’s accomplished debut novel is a gripping exploration into both the endurance of the human spirit and its darker side. Steeped in authenticity, Die a Dry Death is sure to impress even the most demanding of historical fiction readers.

In 1629, the Dutch ship Batavia is on its maiden voyage from Amsterdam to the East Indies when an uncharted reef snags its hull. Captained by the gruff, yet sea-wise Adriaen Jacobsz, the crew has just enough time to unload most of its passengers and essential cargo and head for a nearby string of islets, before the sea claims the once glorious Batavia. But the land that they seemed to have been so blessed to find is barren: rock-strewn, sun-baked, scant on animal life and lacking in fresh water. The only hope of rescue is for Captain Jacobsz and the ambitious Commandeur Pelsaert to set out across unknown seas with a small crew in the longboat, leaving a hundred and eighty survivors of the shipwreck to fend for themselves.

As the survivors begin to realize that their dwindling supplies may not be enough to sustain them until help arrives, mayhem quickly ensues. But when Under Merchant Jeronimus Cornelisz, third in command, escapes the sinking ship and arrives on the island called Batavia’a Graveyard, order is seemingly restored and even the lovely Lucretia van der Mijlen is reassured by his charm and authority.

Soon, however, it becomes apparent that the greatest threat to their survival is not the scarcity of food and water, but the very man to whom they have looked for leadership.

The most intriguing aspect of this story is how the author skillfully unravels one man’s motives for gaining power through use of fear and examines to what lengths a person will go to preserve his own life. With such complex and deeply motivated characters, conflict abounds, creating a fast-paced and thrilling read.

Peppered throughout are exquisite details: of vivid seascapes, clothing, work implements, and nautical terminology. Readers who love to be immersed in a historical period will appreciate the precise research that has gone into this work; while those who enjoy an action-oriented and plot-driven story will be riveted.

(Currently available at The Book Depository, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com [below].)

A Hidden Legacy by Heather Garside

For most of his life, Matt Jones believed he was the uneducated son of kindly servants who work at Fenham Manor in England. But when he discovers they are not his true parents, and that he is the grandson of the lord of the manor who has always treated him with disdain, Matt sets off to Australia to search for his parents.

With little money, he is temporarily hired by his mother’s brother, a wealthy stockman who holds nothing but contempt for Matt’s father, a man of low rank who married his mother after getting her pregnant with Matt years before. From his uncle, he learns the whereabouts of his family’s ranch, complete with both parents and numerous siblings.

But acceptance into his new family and life becomes a struggle as Matt finds himself embroiled in sibling rivalry and an illicit love affair with Isabella, the daughter of a neighbouring stockman. Soon, Matt leaves Isabella for the gold fields to make his fortune. Unprepared for the harsh life of a gold miner, Matt soon finds himself in unfairly in trouble with the law. It is only then that he realizes the depth of his love for Isabella.

A HIDDEN LEGACY is more than a love story. It is a realistic family saga steeped with family secrets, scandals, and rich, twisting plot themes. Heather Garside has realistically recreated 19th century life in the harsh Australian countryside. Although it is the sequel to The Cornstalk, it easily stands alone.

Drawing on her own, real life experiences regarding her own life and work on an Australian ranch, Ms. Garside s has written a realistic, compelling novel about the lives of early settlers in Queensland. This is one of the best Australian novels I have encountered and highly recommend it.

The Trouble with Playboys by Margaret Tanner

When a wealthy Englishman, Paul Ashfield travels to Australia in search of the birth mother he thinks deserted him, he never expects to meet and fall in love with Daphne Clarke. Upon meeting her parents, Paul is horrified by the possibility that they have the same mother. He beats a hasty retreat, believing he has slept with his sister.

Amidst the turmoil of WW2 they meet again in singapore, where he discovers the truth, Daphne is not his sister. They marry as the Japanese pour into Malaya and Singapore teeters on the birnk of invasion. In the chaotic aftermath, each believe the other has died during the bombing. When they finally see each other again, it is in a church, where Paul is about to enter into an arranged marriage.