Title: Moonlight and The Pearler’s Daughter
Author: Lizzie Pook
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House (AU & NZ), Mantle (UK), Simon & Schuster (US & CA)
Pages: 304
Release Date: 1 February 2022 (AU & NZ),3 March 2022 (UK), 14 June 2022 (US & CA)
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Hello fellow booklovers and welcome to my stop on the Blog tour for Lizzie Pook’s gorgeously evocative historical debut, Moonlight and The Pearler’s Daughter.
I just quickly want to say a huge thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me on this tour and to the Publisher for an the ARC which is absolutely stunning!
Synopsis
Fortune favours the brave . . .
It is 1886 and the Brightwell family has sailed from England to make their new home in Western Australia. Ten-year-old Eliza knows little of what awaits them in Bannin Bay beyond stories of shimmering pearls and shells the size of soup plates – the very things her father has promised will make their fortune.
Ten years later, as the pearling ships return after months at sea, Eliza waits impatiently for her father to return with them. When his lugger finally arrives however, Charles Brightwell, master pearler, is declared missing. Whispers from the townsfolk point to mutiny or murder, but Eliza knows her father and, convinced there is more to the story, sets out to uncover the truth. She soon learns that in a town teeming with corruption, prejudice and blackmail, answers can cost more than pearls, and must decide just how much she is willing to pay, and how far she is willing to go, to find them.
A gloriously rich and wonderfully assured debut, Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter is set in a mesmerising yet unforgiving land, where both profit and peril lie deep beneath the ocean’s surface; rendered with astonishing clarity, it is a novel that marks Lizzie Pook as a name to watch.
Review
Beautifully immersive and undeniably moving, Lizzie Pook’s Australian Centred, historical debut was an absolutely breathtaking read! With an endearingly feminist protagonist, vivid prose and exquisitely detailed storytelling —we are treated to an unflinchingly honest (and well researched) glimpse into the lucrative, but dangerous world of 19th C pearl hunting.
This was an exceptionally well researched novel that really explores the horrific treatment of Australia’s aboriginal population in the 19th C—the brutality, enslavement and harrowing experiences (such as forcibly splitting up families, selling children into touring ‘exhibits’ and forcing pregnant women to risk their lives pearl diving) which was utterly heartbreaking (and yes I did cry ALOT whilst reading). But, the rich evocative prose really brought a realness to the characters and their experiences that genuinely captured my attention (and my heart.)
The cast of supporting characters is fairly large and includes several interestingly complex examples, both compelling and odious alike but it’s the details that I loved most; the little tidbits and interesting anecdotes peppered throughout really breath life into Bannin Bay. I really liked Balarri (an aboriginal man who works on the Brightwell’s boat) who we are introduced to through Eliza’s memories, he introduced much of the native fauna and flora to her Eliza and the more I found out about him only endeared me to him further.
Another firm fave was Laura-Min (a childhood friend of Eliza’s) who’s one of the most supportive people Eliza knows and whose resilience and survival despite the racism and misogyny she endures made me really root for her to find happiness. I also really liked Confucius, Gill the Bosun’s chatty and mischievous Cockatoo who provided some much needed light relief to the tense and more emotional scenes.
And of course, I really liked Eliza, our headstrong, feminist protagonist who’s willing to go to any lengths to help the ones she cares for most. A woman who proudly refuses to live by the repressive societal conventions expected from women of the day. Eliza’s probably the most open hearted and honest character we encounter and I absolutely loved her fearlessness and the journey she undertakes was definitely an interesting one.
The level of detail in the atmospheric and evocative descriptions was absolutely amazing; the sticky cloying heat of the Bannin Bay, the salt encrusted seafarers and the dizzingly numerous dangers lurking amongst mangroves was utterly transportive.
I also enjoyed the pacing which was (for me at least) spot on and the intricate web of storytelling was wonderful ; the tension, mystery, gorgeously lush prose and well crafted characters all combined to create a sweepingly feminist adventure that historical fiction lovers and fans of Elizabeth Macneal or Stacey Halls are bound to enjoy.
Also a massive thank you to Random Things Tours and Mantle for the absolutely stunning ARC.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
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