Book Buffet

Friday December 22, 2006

Penal colony life

Review by SHARMILLA GANESAN

A Family of Strangers

Publisher: Five Star Press, 370 pages

A book by a Malaysian-born Australian on the settling of Australia as a penal colony in 1793 definitely piqued my interest. The author, who was born in Alor Star and graduated from Universiti Malaya in 1968, now makes her home in Sydney.

My concern was whether someone who had not grown up in Australia would be able to capture the nuances and details of its early history in a novel. Admittedly, the first few pages were not terribly gripping. The beginning, where a woman is herded onto a ship for a journey into an unknown land, seemed rather commonplace. There didn't seem to be anything that set it apart from other novels of its kind. The characters and dialogue, meanwhile, seemed contrived.

Persevere, however, and you will be richly rewarded. Meet Kate O'Neal, A Family of Strangers' protagonist and strongest feature. Sanchona's depiction of Kate is arresting, and you just cannot get enough of reading about her. While appearing helpless and dispirited at first, Kate soon shows herself to be a determined and intelligent young woman who seizes control of the misfortunes that beset her. You will be awed, moved, annoyed and amused by Kate, but never bored.

This story is a feminist's dream. Kate is sent to the Australian penal colony for turning against her abusive employer, and in the convict settlement, women are little more than chattel. There, they only have two options: to be sold as a mistress to the highest bidder or to prostitute themselves. The first scenario, which befalls Kate, while not ideal, at least offered her the protection of a man.

Bought by the alcoholic and abusive Lieutenant Kendrick, it first seems that Kate is back in the mire she left behind. Far from being retiring and subservient, however, she refuses to be resigned to the harsh hand fate has dealt her. She dreams of one day being free and in control of her own actions.

It is at Kendrick's farm that Kate meets her "family of strangers", the convict workers bought by him to work on the property. Her times spent with the workers are some of the most delightful scenes in the book, and are described vividly by the author. I do wish, however, that these secondary characters were given more scope, for some of them do not have much of a presence.

Following a series of events, Kendrick gives up Kate's ownership to the dashing Captain Spencer. While still not free, Kate sees a glimmer of hope. Spencer is a far cry from Kendrick, and dotes on her. She, in turn, starts to hope that she will one day be married to him, and be free of the stigma of being a mistress. The path to her happiness, however, is not that simple.

The story is used as a lens to capture life in early Australia and Sanchona does this well. The misery of the convicts, the challenges faced by the British forces, and the uncertain relationship of the settlers with the unfamiliar landscape and Aborigines is described well. The author also manages to humanise the situations, giving the reader a sense of connection.

Furthermore, the struggles faced by the women living in those times are harshly underscored by the story. Thus, we rejoice along with Kate for every little triumph, as she fights against the unjust treatment.

The author indicates in her notes that this will not be the last we see of Kate O' Neal, as she will be used to take us through the history of Australia in subsequent books. I personally cannot think of a better way to learn about the country's rise than through the eyes of this spunky, engaging heroine.