A Family of Strangers

by Sanchona

The story opens in 1793 with Kate O'Neal boarding the transport that would take her to Australia to serve her seven-year sentence for castrating her employer's son who raped and brutalised her.
Kate has to survive the year-long voyage, and then the remaining six years of her sentence in a penal colony teaming with men, where convict women are seen as no better than commodity. Driven by her will to survive, she first becomes Lieutenant Kendrick's convict mistress, and when he loses her in a game of cards, Captain Spencer's "honey pot".
The core of her support comes from a group of friends, her family of
strangers . . .

371 pages, Hardcover

First published December 13, 2006

About the author

Hey, it only took me 30 years from the starting block to getting my first novel published, and I'm hopeful that it would be a lot quicker to get my sequel out -- a possibility because I've done most of my research -- meticulous research because I care to be accurate with my historical setting.

I love historical fiction because I'd like to "kill two birds with a stone" -- enjoy the story/characters, while I also learn a little more about history of the times.
Naturally I wanted my novel to be a book I'd want to read!

Reviews

[Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Very good " A Family of Strangers by Sanchona is a nice gem of a book, a well-written story of one young woman's struggle to survive and maintain her dignity in the face of entrenched and extremely manipulative calculating sadistic and highly aggressive male attitudes of British Society at the time of the establishment of the Botany Bay penal colony as Kate O'Neil story evolves slowly it seemed a very truthful retelling of this time period with a great deal of attention to details that truly revealed the racist assumptions the economic oppression, the class chauvinism, during this crushingly misogynistic era. The author stayed true to the history of the era and the limited options open to Kate as she had to live within this concepts of sex and class and the justified violence this imperialist mentality imposed on everyone in the penal colony.
((But Hey I have a lot more to say about this book but it's time to go to bed so I'll end this by saying,...Really good historical fiction novel a real nice find, glad I read it!! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well-written story about a woman who rises above and prospers even in the worse of circumstances because of their own abilities intellect and unwillingness to become broken by not giving up Five stars this is a really good book)).

[(Sanchona) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Kate O'Neal, who is sent out to Botany Bay to serve her sentence of 7 years transportation. Kate is alone, young, penniless and vulnerable. She uses her wits to survive the harsh life of a convict girl in a penal colony where men outnumber women by 4 to 1.

The story is realistic, the research meticuous and we are reminded that being young, female and poor does not necessarily turn a girl into a victim.

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Barnes&Noble

[July · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good. I enjoyed reading it very much. Kate is only 15 years old when she is sentenced and convicted because her employers son raped her. So she is sent to Botany Bay. Which almost assurdly means death. The long journey on the ship is horrible. It takes almost a year many die on there way there. Once getting there she finds herself the mistress of Jeremy Kendrick and when he drinks he beats her.
Kate does make good friends but her many years are filled sad and dark days. Does she ever find true love and a good life for herself?

This book was well written and I found myself liking this brave young woman Kate and wanting only the best for her.
I would recommend it.