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A Room Made of Leaves cover art

A Room Made of Leaves

By: Kate Grenville
Narrated by: Valerie Bader
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Publisher's Summary

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

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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What listeners say about A Room Made of Leaves

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Splendid imagining of a woman's life.

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.

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7 people found this helpful

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Not what I was expecting

I love Kate’s books and pre purchased this one but I was expecting something very different. Her usual touch and sense of humour is completely missing as is her special ability to create Aussie characters that resonate in time.

This book instead is a previously unpublished autobiography very slightly edited. It’s missing massive parts of the history of MacArthur and ends really abruptly.

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7 people found this helpful

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Wonderful storyline full of historic references

As they say behind every great man is a woman rolling and her eyes and that is exactly the relationship between Mr & Mrs Macarthur. Kate Grenville has truly brought this historical character to life. Whilst the stories are fictional, the telling of the first interactions with the local indigenous communities tells a tale that needs to be told, and with sensitivity to both sides and I hope this book allows Mrs Macarthur's story of survival, resilience and courage to be told far more broadly than ever before.

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5 people found this helpful

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So Wrong

How can you write a work of fiction about real people,real places and real events. The writer basically demonizes John while an adulterous Elizabeth can do no wrong. Much more balance needed.

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2 people found this helpful

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Like being there ....

I loved this book. Beautifully written and beautifully read. Amazingly descriptive. A real page turner. I was sorry when it ended.

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Intriguing and engaging speculative history

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.

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great read

Beautiful insight into the life of one of Australia's formative women. Easy to listen to.

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Disappointing

I didn’t enjoy this book but persevered with it. Although it is a work of fiction I think it fails in its aims. The sensibilities, political correctness and guilt of today seep through the text giving an unrealistic gaze on the perspectives of the time. The voice of John Macarthur and his relationship with Elizabeth seemed to lack authenticity. This was further exacerbated by the reader whose pace and pronunciation of words became annoying.

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A malevolent strike at character and history.

I hold this story in contempt. If there was an urge to tell this tale, why choose characters who lived? Far better to attach fictional relationships and events to fictitious folk.

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Enjoyable on so many levels

I truly loved the hours spent listening to this Kate Grenville audio book. In short, It felt like the most honest, personal account of life in the early establishment of this nation I have ever heard or read. Even if liberties have been taken in writing it, it is a beautifully written story and one so very believable.
I have already told many about this book. Last year I listened to Always Greener which I also loved, such is the talent of Kate Grenville to bring people of history “back to life”.
The reader, also very talented, is easy to listen to and very appropriate for the story.

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  • Gordon
  • 29-09-2020

Historical fiction

Thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction, based on the life of Elizabeth MacArthur. I would recommend this book!

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  • Paula Beavan
  • 02-08-2020

Exquisite

There isn’t much more to say. So well written and researched. Not to mention relatable.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.