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A Room Made of Leaves

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A Room Made of Leaves

By: Kate Grenville
Narrated by: Valerie Bader
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About this listen

What if Elizabeth Macarthur – wife of the notorious John Macarthur, wool baron in early Sydney – had written a shockingly frank secret memoir?

In her introduction Kate Grenville tells, tongue firmly in cheek, of discovering a long-hidden box containing that memoir. What follows is a playful dance of possibilities between the real and the invented.

Grenville's Elizabeth Macarthur is a passionate woman managing her complicated life-marriage to a ruthless bully, the impulses of her own heart and the search for power in a society that gave her none - with spirit, cunning and sly wit.

Her memoir reveals the dark underbelly of the polite world of Jane Austen. It explodes the stereotype of the women of the past - devoted and docile, accepting of their narrow choices. That was their public face - here's what one of them really thought.

At the heart of this book is one of the most toxic issues of our times – the seductive appeal of false stories. Beneath the surface of Elizabeth Macarthur's life and the violent colonial world she navigated are secrets and lies with the dangerous power to shape reality.

©2020 Kate Grenville (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Voices Marriage Inspiring Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

"There is no doubt Grenville is one of our greatest writers." (The Sunday Mail)

"Kate Grenville is a literary alchemist, turning the leaden shadow of the historical Elizabeth Macarthur into a luminescent, golden woman for our times. Intelligent, compassionate, strategic and dead sexy, Grenville’s Macarthur is an unforgettable character who makes us question everything we thought we knew about our colonial past. A polished gem of a novel by a writer who is as brave as she is insightful. I simply loved it." (Clare Wright)
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Australian colonial history is predominantly about men. Men’s actions, men’s voices, and much of the primary source material obscures the stories of colonial women. Their letters were not personal so much as acts of PR.

Kate Grenville’s novel asks the question of what would a women write about these times if she knew she would have no audience until some time in the unknowable future. As Elizabeth MacArthur, the wife of John MacArthur of rum rebellion fame, Grenville paints an engaging and satisfying picture of life in a hostile land with a husband who can only really be described as a dick. It is a warm, captivating concept that is well executed. I’d recommend listening to it while out in the Australian bush for an even more immersive experience.

Intriguing and engaging speculative history

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Love Grenville's writing, and this was no exception. I love that Grenville writes with her feminist lens on, championing the self-efficacy of women and paying homage to their ability to work with what they've got. Grenville's character development was on point, and her portrayal of the early colony was brought to life with her rich descriptions. I would recommend this title to other listeners.

Great Read - a shame its not historically factual

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Well written and extremely well narrated. I never read a book twice, life is too short, but this will be an exception.

I couldn’t stop reading, it is such a gripping story.

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quite enjoyed it. good to see the original Australians are acknowledged. narators voice is pleasant.

a good listen

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Someone might have checked what a Devonian accent sounds like... NOT northern! Apart from that, I enjoyed the book.

Accent check

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Easy to listen to, nice narrator. I love how you can practically hear Mrs Mcarthur rolling her eyes at Mr Mcarthur throughout the entire book. I was slightly disappointed by how quickly events happened towards the end and were hardly mentioned, it felt rushed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book.

A great read

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Thoroughly enjoyed hearing Mrs MacArthur’s tale set within that early period in European settlement of Sydney. Interesting to follow her growing up and maturing into a thinking woman!

Enjoyable and beautifully written

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Valerie Bader was the perfect narrator for this book. It took me a little to warm to her in the very opening chapter, so if you have a similar difficulty definitely persevere as she really hits her stride quickly and you'll be rewarded with a very believable Elizabeth McCarthur/Veal.

Kate Grenville has penned such an enjoyable experience. (I've enjoyed A Room Made Of Leaves as an audio book.) It is SO believable it truly had me wishing it was indeed true. This was what I had wanted and expected history to be when I was in High School. The account of how people lived their lives, their struggles and daily motivations. Having being schooled in NSW I was well familiar with the boring dry white guy version of the very famous John Macarthur and Elizabeth farm (although I mistakenly thought it was situated at Camden). So to be guided through this delicious piece of fiction from Elizabeth's viewpoint, especially right from her childhood in England was everything I could want it to be. Masterful storytelling by Grenville and the perfect entry point for me to discover her entire catalogue. She is indeed a gifted writer.

LOVED IT! Superb storytelling!

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I listened to this book shortly after The Dickens Boy by Tom Keneally, and could compare and contrast the two approaches to historical characters based on limited material. Both books are superb and entertaining. There were more 'external events' in The Dickens Boy, whereas Kate Grenville lets us see events purely through the eyes of Elizabeth Macarthur. Any woman with the misfortune to have married John Macarthur would deserve our pity, but Elizabeth finds ways of living semi-independently with this obstreporous man, partly by striking up a relationship with Mr Dawes. And she learns to manipulate her husband, up to a point. Kate Grenville has told her story with great sensitivity and skill.
Reader Valerie Bader does a sterling job throughout.

Splendid imagining of a woman's life.

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Fascinating story and history. Imagery, feelings and emotions masterfully expressed. I could read and reread and reread

An absolute delight

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