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Sarah Thornhill

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Sarah Thornhill

By: Kate Grenville
Narrated by: Emma Fielding
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About this listen

 FROM THE BOOKER PRIZE-SHORTLISTED AND WOMEN’S PRIZE-WINNING AUSTRALIAN NOVELIST

Sarah is the youngest daughter of William Thornhill, a ruthless man who made a life for himself and his family in New South Wales after being sentenced from England. When Sarah finds true love with Jack, an older boy with mixed ancestry, she also encounters disapproval: someone in her family will not tolerate their relationship.

The reason lies in both the past and the present, and it will take Sarah across an ocean, to a place she never imagined she would go, to discover if her love is ever going to be enough.©2012 Kate Grenville (P)2012 Canongate Books Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction
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I enjoyed the story, a follow up to “Secret River”. Tells the story of the tragic influence (racism) of the colonials in early settling of Australia.

Great Story

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The human condition in full detail. Historical, relatable and straight to the heart.
There were moments where I questioned the characters choices, but then realised, "Thats exactly how a person would react"
Love this book.
wish audible had Joan Makes History

LOVED

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I really enjoyed this audiobook for the way it addressed intergenerational, class, especially racial issues and prejudice in early Colonial Australia.
Kate Grenville is a truly great wordsmith and historian, both for her understanding and descriptions of this time. But also for her uniquely personal connection with these peoples and place.
It’s a wonderful element to her extraordinary early Colonial range : Secret River, The Thornhills, the Lieutenant, Room made of leaves, +++
Many thanks, Eliza

A fascinating and intimate journey.

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Kate Grenville writes from the soul and for the soul of the human condition. She writes about some of the big topics, of colonisation and its impacts on indigenous culture by turning the magnifying glass on one family and its stories, experiences, emotions. Stunning characterisation. Loved it.

Devastating and beautiful

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Kate Grenville's ability to create a story as real as life itself is unswerving.
Each character is as though I had known them, and each setting, each place is alive as if it were a character.

Sarah Thornhill's story will stay with me for a long time.

A moving story from start to finish

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Hi and low this story is so good and an intriguing story that is the first to talk about the destruction of the First People. Sad that lessons weren't learned then

Wonderful Story

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I enjoyed The Secret River and was left wondering what happened in the years that followed these characters. I enjoyed the focus on a daughter and the switch to first person narration. Some parts were a little hurried and I’m not sure quite matched up in terms of believeability but it was a sweet coming of age story that explored first love. The journey to New Zealand felt rushed and distracted from the issues of racism and the horrific treatment of indigenous Australians. But overall, the narrator was good and I couldn’t stop listening to this and finished it quickly. A few days later and I’m still thinking of these characters and Grenville’s message about the importance telling our ancestors’ stories.

Worthy sequel

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Pleasant sorry but spoken with undertones of despair when, at times, there could have been joy. Rather a bleak story but made moreso.

Dreary

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I loved the Secret River and was looking forward to continuing the story, unfortunately this book didn't quite deliver, it lacked the punch of the previous books. The story starts off well enough, the characters are strong, but it just seems to lose its way somehow. There was too much emphasis on Sarah's attempts to attone for her father's wrongs. The story had built up beautifully to the point where Sarah meets her estranged brother and discovers her father's dark past, then it seems to rush along disjointedly. Was it really necessary for Sarah's character to travel all the way to New Zealand with Jack, I understand Grenville was trying to "complete the circle" but I just didn't feel it worked. And as much as I enjoyed following Sarah's story I would have loved to have seen the grandchild's character explored more.
That said I still enjoyed it and finished it in a day. The book works as a stand alone novel, but I would recommend reading/listening to the Secret River first as it does help build a picture of those early days of colonisation in New South Wales.
Emma Fielding's narration was very good, and worked well with the story.

OK follow up

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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.