Were you familiar with this part of Australia's history before reading? Was there anything new you learned that particularly surprised you?

Were you familiar with this part of Australia's history before reading? Was there anything new you learned that particularly surprised you?

I was not familiar with this part of history.

That is why I love historical fiction. I always learn something.

I was aware of both the tragic aboriginal history and the prisoner history although this book personalized it in a way that it is more deeply understood. I was not really as aware of the upper class part of the book, although I should have been because it fits exactly with colonialism.

I was familiar with the penal colonies in Australia but was not as familiar with the female prisoners and how many there were

I knew that Great Britain had used Australia as a penal colony, but knew nothing about the system beyond that.

I was slightly more familiar with how aboriginal children were treated under the British colonial system. A movie that came out several years ago, "Rabbit-Proof Fence," started me down that path. (Excellent movie, by the way!)

I was aware that the British used Australia as a penal colony, but I had not realized the connection between Newgate Prison and those sent there, especially the women prisoners.

I was aware that Australia was Britain's penal colony but for some reason it never occurred to me that that included women prisoners. The way they were treated in the prison and onboard ship made me weep!
And, of course, the inhumane way native peoples were treated (and still are) is heartbreaking.

I did know some of this history, but this book will make it more memorable. I didn't know about women prisoners being sent here.

The map in the front of the book was pretty but useless, since the type was too small to read even with a magnifying glass. I looked online since I wan't sure where Van Diemen's Land, now called Tasmania, was in relation to the larger mass of Australia.

Other than knowing that lots of Irish and other people from the British Isles went to Australia, I don't know much about its history.

Part of the reason I loved this book was because I learned so much. I knew nothing about the history on which this book was based.

Me too, candacef.

I had never heard of this, and was fascinated at what I learned.

I agree with the opinions of all. I didn't know very much as to how Australia was used as a penal colony. I certainly did not know so many women were deported, especially for such petty and minor offenses. Also, the time of their captivity seemed quite long.

I was familiar with the practice of shipping convicts but had no idea of the numbers that were sent to Australia.

I too knew that Australia had been used as a "home" for British convicts, but otherwise knew nothing of this history. I learned a lot about British justice for those times, and about women convicts in Australia.

I had a cursory knowledge of prisoners being shipped to Australia. I just never realized their crimes could be for such minor offenses as well as for moral deficits. I guess that poverty has always prevented equality under the law: more money equals a better defense.

Yes, I was familiar with the face that prisoners were sent to Australia from England, and also familiar with the unfair treatment and discrimination of the aboriginals. Similar to the way Native Americans were treated in this country. However, I wasn’t familiar with the transport ships carrying only women, nor with the conditions the prisoners suffered.

I had no idea. I knew Australia had been a penal colony but again I had no understanding of the conditions in which "convicts" sent there were treated nor the conditions on the prison ships. I learned a great deal.

I was not familiar with that part of history. It was very interesting to read in the Acknowledgments how Christina Baker Kline came to write this story.

I knew convicts had been shipped to Australia but apparently never stopped to think about how that actually played out. The fact that the conditions on the ship and in the prison were so awful, or that the prisoners were used as slave labor was new to me.

I knew that Australia was a penal colony, but had no idea that women were sent there for very menial crimes. I also knew there were aborigines and considered they were similar to Indians in our country.

I knew that prisoners were sent there but I did not know the particulars. I can of thought they just let them off the boat and sailed away and let them fend for themselves, I guess. I didn't realize there were English there that used the prisoners as domesticates and for almost "slave" labor. I did know that aboriginal children were taken from parents and raised in "schools" similar to what was done to Native Americans in the U.S. and that it had the same devastating results.

I was not familiar with this part of Australia’s history. Yes I was surprised and appalled.

I was not familiar with any of Australia's history. I learned so much. This book has piqued my interest for further research.

I was aware of Australia and its convict labor but not very knowledgeable. This book has truly been an eye-opener and full of historically interesting information. It has also peaked an interest in reading more about Australia.

I knew nothing of shipping convicts there, a good reason to read historical fiction, you do learn a good deal...