The Secret River by Kate Grenville

The following information has been sourced from Kate Grenville's website.

Description:

William Thornhill, an illiterate Thames bargeman and a man of quick temper but deep feelings, steals a load of timber and is transported to New South Wales in 1806. Like many of the convicts, he's pardoned within a few years and settles on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. Perhaps the Governor grants him the land or perhaps he just takes it - the Hawkesbury is at the extreme edge of settlement at that time and normal rules don't apply.

However he gets the land, it's prime riverfront acreage. It looks certain to make him rich.

There's just one problem with that land: it's already owned. It's been part of the territory of the Darug people for perhaps forty thousand years. They haven't left fences or roads or houses, but they live on that land and use it, just as surely as Thornhill's planning to do.

They aren't going to hand over their land without a fight. Spears may be primitive weapons, but settlers know that they can kill a man as surely as a ball of lead from a musket.

As he realises all this, Thornhill faces an impossible choice.

The Secret River is part of a trilogy about early Australia (along with The Lieutenant, published in 2008, and Sarah Thornhill, published in Australia in September 2011 and forthcoming in Europe and North America in February 2012).

The book has also been adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell and appeared at this year's Sydney Festival.

The Secret River: Reader's Notes by Kate Grenville

Text Publishing Reading Group Notes

About the Author:

Kate Grenville is one of Australia's best-known authors. She's published  eight books of fiction and four books about the writing process. Her best-known works are the international best-seller The Secret River,  The Idea of Perfection, The Lieutenant and Lilian's Story (details about all Kate Grenville's books are elsewhere on this site). Her novels have won many awards both in Australia and the UK, several have been made into major feature films, and all have been translated into European and Asian languages.

Book Awards:

Winner, Commonwealth Writer's Prize 2006

Winner, NSW Premier's Literature Awards, Christina Stead Prize 2005

Fellowship of Australian Writer's Christina Stead Award

Literary Fiction Book of the Year and Book of the Year, Australian Book Industry Awards 2006

Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Prize 2006

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2006

Author Interviews

Interviews with Kate Grenville

Interview with Ramona Koval for Radio National (audio and transcript)

Reviews:

First Tuesday Book Club review (video and transcript, plus reader reviews)

The Secret River: Reviews (from Kate Grenville's website)