TO A DISTANT LAND
Julianne Jones
Ark House Press
This is an historical romance set in Australia’s convict days and highlighting the plight of women sent to the young colony.
Jones weaves the stories of Katie Donovan, an Irish teenager accused of theft, and of Judith, transported for a petty crime. The writer sets the scene by giving interesting background about the characters’ lives in England and Ireland, leading to how innocent Katie comes to be among the hardened criminals sentenced to transportation.
The vessel’s complement of women endure great hardship during their journey to Sydney, but discover unexpected kindness in the person of Samuel McKinnon, a young pastor following God’s leading to a new land.
This story has a Christian context: we follow Katie’s (rather sudden) conversion, and her efforts to make the right choices in unpredictable and difficult circumstances.
Paralleling the main plot are the diary entries of Rhiannon, the daughter of a doctor who is also seeking a new life for his family. While the diary sections are cleverly interspersed and add intrigue to the storyline, there are times when they become passages of dialogue, and lose their focus as a young girl’s intimate thoughts.
Jones has done her homework well. This is a credible story giving insight into interesting aspects of the lives of free settlers as well as of the convict girls. After leading the two sets of characters through various trials, the writer manages to unite them satisfactorily. Readers are left with the distinct impression that there will be a happy ending to the developing romance.
Nevertheless, to a distant land is an enjoyable read suitable for teenage girls as well as adults. A sequel would be well received.
LH
TO A DISTANT LAND
Julianne Jones
Ark House Press
The story is set in the late 1820s, and follows 3 characters lives and dreams as they are uprooted from the UK, and settle in colonial Australia. There is Katie (unjustly accused and sentenced to transportation), Rhiannon (whose family emigrate hoping for a better life), and Samuel (a young preacher listening as God leads him). Some interesting issues are explored in this interesting historical context, eg life in a penal colony, the limited opportunities for lower class women, and trusting in God’s plans for your life. As the characters develop and their lives meet up, each faces their own challenges from quite different perspectives. The Christian message of salvation through faith in Jesus is given clearly and naturally, both in story line and in character dialogue. An enjoyable Australian historical fiction tale also suitable for teen readers. AA
TO A DISTANT LAND
Julianne Jones
Ark House Press
Jones has written an Australian historical romance, set in the early days of settlement when convicts were still being transported, and most of the landscape was still undiscovered and undeveloped. Katie Donovan, a 14 year old innocent, is falsely accused of stealing and is sentenced to seven years transportation. Samuel McKinnon, a young pastor, sails out on the same ship, searching for God’s guidance. Rhiannon Sanford’s father, after a rift with her grandfather, takes his family to the new colony to start again. The lives of all three are woven together through the gracious plans of their Heavenly Father. Jones brings Colonial Australia to life, through her easy writing style and her meticulous research. WN
TO A DISTANT LAND
Julianne Jones
Ark House Press
When Kaitleen Donovan’s mother died in childbirth and her father turned to the bottle for solace it seemed that her life could hardly get worse. But that was not the case. She had three younger siblings and, to avoid starvation and against her better judgment, she accepted a position as a maid in the Big House.
to a distant land is a historically accurate account of the harshness of life in the early 1800s in both Ireland and New South Wales. We journey with Katie after she rejects the advances of the son of the Master of the Big House. Katie is framed as a thief and despite all evidence to the contrary she is convicted and sentenced, at fourteen years old, to seven years transportation.
to a distant land is a woven three-strand story of Katie, Rhiannon – an English girl who journals her thoughts of the difficulties presented by this inhospitable land – and Samuel McKinnon, the spiritual advisor from the convict ship. All three learn after many hardships that God’s ways are not our ways.
to a distant land is an easily read novel that holds the reader’s attention and is especially rewarding for those interested in Irish and early Australian history and also for those wanting to pray into our Australian ‘roots’. The words that Julianne Jones concludes with are relevant to all of us who call Australia home: Australia has been called the great Southland of the Holy Spirit. In Rhiannon’s words, it was a country built on pain and suffering and hardship and yes, even death. It seems incredible that a nation built on rejection and pain could prosper. Yet in God anything is possible.
‘For I know the plans I have for you, ‘ declares the Lord,
‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future ‘
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
DS