January 1901 heralds a time of change for the nation
and an equally great one for the schoolmaster’s daughter, Hannah Gilbert. She dreams
of a life of learning at University. Not as servant to a man that will govern
her life.
The ship bringing the family to a new post at Port
Harris, is stranded on a sandbank. They are rescued by Jamie, a Pacific
Islander. This will lead Hannah into a forbidden friendship when two similar
minds are bound together.
Mama - Mrs Gilbert, is a woman of considerable
family fortune. Something her husband can’t touch. The scar on her face has
done nothing to lessen her confidence, independent nature, and the separate and
compassionate way she views the world and people. She is respectable, respected,
accepting and refuses to discriminate.
She is determined to see Hannah realise
her dreams. And later, intends to extend
the same opportunities for development to her young son, Angus.
Mr Gilbert is the new schoolmaster at Port Harris. He
is a singular character; highly intelligent, presentable, well-mannered and
loving. These virtues don’t influence his dislike of his wife’s opinions and
decisions.
His expectations were that she uses her family’s money
and influence to secure him a respectable position in a private school. She has
refused and refuses to do so. His persistence in this, added to his cruel
reference to her scars and his magnanimous sacrifice in marrying her, awakens
Mama to the truth of her situation.
Mr Harris is the rich and powerful owner of the
area’s sugar plantations serviced by slave labour. The whip still governs, and
brutality punishes any disobedience. He is not what he outwardly projects. His
smooth and well-mannered exterior harbours a dark side and even darker secrets
and activities. These come to light in twists of fate.
The actions, thoughts and emotions of this outstanding
cast of characters – major and minor, whose paths cross, are sturdy building
blocks in this fantastic read, set in a deeply moving and tragic era of
Australia’s history.
Jackie French’s ability to construct a powerful
narrative draws us into the era of Federation and change – in Laws and people
that altered the thinking and beliefs of
a nation.
Title:
The Schoolmaster’s Daughter
Author:
Jackie French
Publisher:
Harper Collins, $17.99
Publication
Date: 18 May 2020
Format:
Paperback
ISBN:
9781460757710
For
ages: 12+
Type:
Historical Fiction