Jill Blee's second novel, Brigid, is at once a
travel story and an historical novel set in modern
Ireland, where Jill's first visit to her ancestral
homeland is hijacked by the very real presence of
her long-dead great aunt, Brigid.
Brigid has some unfinished business which quickly becomes Jill's main quest, through which she is brought into a much deeper experience of the great famine than her history books could ever give her.
Brigid has some unfinished business which quickly becomes Jill's main quest, through which she is brought into a much deeper experience of the great famine than her history books could ever give her.
They brought their old-world conflict with them to
the new land. The Orange and the Green
focussed their antagonism on neighbourhood pubs in
1875, at a difficult time on the famous Ballarat
goldfields. Jill Blee skilfully surrounds her
characters with the flavours of time and
place. The mines and mining tragedies
loom in the background while the belligerence of
miners and lorrymen, together with their imported
patriotism and religious bigotry threaten the
desire of the Farrell family to achieve wealth and
respectability This special day in the life of
their pub becomes life itself, filled with
contemporary spleen, beautifully described
household routines, and relentless social climbing
that threatens Tommy Farrell's chance of finding
love.
Written with attention to the big picture, but infused with telling detail, this book offers time-travel to a former here and now. Weston Bate (President, Royal Victorian Historical Society)
Written with attention to the big picture, but infused with telling detail, this book offers time-travel to a former here and now. Weston Bate (President, Royal Victorian Historical Society)
Elise Cartwright and her sisters arrive at Norfolk
Island, in the mid-nineteenth century, when it was
still largely a settlement of male convicts.
She is attracted to O'Shaughnessy, one of the Irish
convicts, in spite of what the rest of her family
thinks. What happens to the Cartwrights
reflects this microcosm of a society obsessed with
wealth, guilt and class.
In this historical romance, the secrets which lie on the island are uncovered and you will see what they poignantly reveal about us.
In this historical romance, the secrets which lie on the island are uncovered and you will see what they poignantly reveal about us.
