Orphan Rock

 Orphan Rock

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       March 1, 2022

 

Author  Dominique Wilson

Distributor:      Transit Lounge
ISBN:                 978-1-925760-87-3
Publisher:         Transit Lounge
Release Date:   March 2022  

Website:    https://transitlounge.com.au 

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Australian History comes to life in this rich and complex saga, Orphan Rock. Set in Sydney in the late 1800’s we are introduced to the main character Bessie, as she gradually becomes aware that she has been left at an Orphanage.

As a young girl, she can vaguely remember her mother, but Lottie is the orphan who guides her through the routines, keeps her safe, and sleeps with her at night. The poverty and hardship are tangible.

Many topics are examined in this story and as a result of careful research, the Dominique Wilson brings forward many other social justice issues.

For those Chinese who migrated to Australia for a better life, or for gold, life was unenviable. Trying to settle into a community who were mistrusting and suspicious was hard enough, but to try to work and support a family was a battle. If a Chinese man fell in love and married an Australian girl, she would be disgraced and extraneous to the community.

A separate issue at that time was the rights of women. As an adult, Bessie began to work for a newspaper run by feminist Louisa Lawson, she saw the inequality and despair of women trying to make a stand for their rights. Bessie was fortunate as she was a companion to an old woman who had a pen pal living in France. The pen pal decided to come to Australia for a visit and the disparity between the cultures was huge.

After surviving the death of her husband and family to smallpox, Bessie lived from hand to mouth. Eventually, she remarried and her daughter lived to benefit from all hardships that had gone before her. As Kathleen becomes an adult, she continued the French Connection formed when her mother was a young woman and was there when World War 1 broke out.

It is the detail and characters in Orphan Rock which present such an impact on the reader. As we follow the story, Historical events slot into place and it is so easy to be transported to that time and location.

History, Non Fiction