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My Story: Girls
No Way Back
The riveting true story of thirteen-year-old Mary Wade – one of the first and youngest British convicts to be transported to Australia. Raised in the slums of eighteenth century London, Mary is sentenced to death for a petty theft at the age of just eleven. While she is shut up in Newgate prison awaiting execution, her sentence is commuted to transportation to an Australian penal colony. So Mary sets sail aboard a prison ship to the other side of the world. Australia brings the promise of a new life, but it is also harsh and wild. Does Mary have what it takes to survive in this land of danger and opportunity?
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 3, 2012
“No Way Back” by Valerie Wilding is a novel based on a true story set in 1789 and is presented as the diary of a girl convict.
It is about a poor English girl called Mary Wade who makes a mistake and steals some clothes and ends up in the filthiest prison of London where she is awaiting death by hanging. However her sentence is later changed and she is sent in a huge ship to Australia as a prisoner, where she begins a new life.
Mary Wade is a kind and helpful girl as even as she stole, it was out of kindness because she wanted money to buy her mum’s bible back. Another example is on page 107 where the author wrote that she stitched the hole in the Captains sleeve. Also on page 132 Mary helped another prisoner who was poorly to recover.
I think it is a very nice book with an interesting story which I would highly recommend especially if you are interested in the history of England and Australia. Although this book is a diary it is written with a mixture of narrative and dialogue which you wouldn’t usually expect. It would be good if there was a follow up to tell her new life in Australia.
By Annick
(age 9)
It is about a poor English girl called Mary Wade who makes a mistake and steals some clothes and ends up in the filthiest prison of London where she is awaiting death by hanging. However her sentence is later changed and she is sent in a huge ship to Australia as a prisoner, where she begins a new life.
Mary Wade is a kind and helpful girl as even as she stole, it was out of kindness because she wanted money to buy her mum’s bible back. Another example is on page 107 where the author wrote that she stitched the hole in the Captains sleeve. Also on page 132 Mary helped another prisoner who was poorly to recover.
I think it is a very nice book with an interesting story which I would highly recommend especially if you are interested in the history of England and Australia. Although this book is a diary it is written with a mixture of narrative and dialogue which you wouldn’t usually expect. It would be good if there was a follow up to tell her new life in Australia.
By Annick
(age 9)
January 20, 2012
Eleven-year-old Mary Wade is the oldest of seven children in a poor family living in London in 1789. Her father is usually away working, leaving her mother to care for the children alone. There is never enough money, and they are often cold and hungry. One day, hoping to help her mother, Mary makes a terrible decision that will change her life forever. With the help of her friend, Mary steals some clothing to sell. The next day, she is caught and arrested. At trial, she is convicted and sentenced to death, all for stealing a few pieces of clothing.
Mary spends the next few months in filthy Newgate Prison, wondering what will happen to her. She misses her family and is terrified she won't live to grow up and try to have a better life and have children of her own. Then her sentence is commuted to transportation to the new colony of New South Wales (present day Sydney, Australia). Mary is grateful for a chance to survive but sad she will never see England or her family again. The sea voyage is very long and Mary wonders what will await her at the end.
No Way Back is a bit different from the other books in the My Story series, since it is based on the life of a real person, unlike the other books, which describe real historical events from the point of view of a fictional main character. Mary Wade was one of the youngest convicts to be transported to Australia. She survived and thrived and grew up to have so many children that she now has thousands of descendents living today. It is also not an actual diary like the other books in the series (since Mary would not have had a diary to write in) but is written in the style of one. I enjoyed this book but I wish it had been a bit longer and more detailed. It ends with Mary's arrival in New South Wales and I would have liked to read about her life there. I think readers who enjoyed other books in the My Story series (or other similar series such as Dear America and Dear Canada) would enjoy this book as well.
Mary spends the next few months in filthy Newgate Prison, wondering what will happen to her. She misses her family and is terrified she won't live to grow up and try to have a better life and have children of her own. Then her sentence is commuted to transportation to the new colony of New South Wales (present day Sydney, Australia). Mary is grateful for a chance to survive but sad she will never see England or her family again. The sea voyage is very long and Mary wonders what will await her at the end.
No Way Back is a bit different from the other books in the My Story series, since it is based on the life of a real person, unlike the other books, which describe real historical events from the point of view of a fictional main character. Mary Wade was one of the youngest convicts to be transported to Australia. She survived and thrived and grew up to have so many children that she now has thousands of descendents living today. It is also not an actual diary like the other books in the series (since Mary would not have had a diary to write in) but is written in the style of one. I enjoyed this book but I wish it had been a bit longer and more detailed. It ends with Mary's arrival in New South Wales and I would have liked to read about her life there. I think readers who enjoyed other books in the My Story series (or other similar series such as Dear America and Dear Canada) would enjoy this book as well.
April 21, 2014
Loved this book. Love history and diaries this combination really works and is educational at the sane time. Great for me, about to take my SATS
March 2, 2021
No Way Back.
Thoughts:-
Snappy, can feel the time period and those living within it.
Synopsis:-
Mary is living in poverty where her mum has to do anything she can to just feed and house them. She finds herself stealing an apple to eat and asking how her mums got money when the wages that her dad sent home was very little.
Mary steals a dress from a young girl after seeing her mother’s bible in the shop. She is determined to get it back. The local bully teases Mary into confessing what she was up too.
Catherine tells Mary Philips (little girl) who stole her dress. The police come and arrest Mary with Jane who is taken to two courts, found guilty and sentenced to death. They are taken to Newgate Prison and make friends with a girl called Sal.
Mary makes friends with Rachel and Jane starts to hang with other girls. Life is hard in the prison as Mary is shown time and again. Her mother visits often with food and Mary feels bad especially since her mother’s expecting.
Sal dies.
Jane and Mary are taken to court where they are offered transportation instead of hanging. They say yes and Mary does not get to say goodbye to her mother before she is taken to a ship bound for Australia.
She gets to see her sick mum before she leaves and is destroyed to hear her father has left them. She will be gone for the rest of her life from her siblings and her mother.
At least she has been reunited with Rachel yet she is back under the eye of Mrs Bransley.
Mary says goodbye to England, after Mr Nicole finds her mums bible and tries to return it to her but they have moved on. Mary clings to it. She has some strange experiences on ship, she gets close to Sarah, Jane stops speaking to her, two babies are born and Mrs Barnsley has set herself up well.
Jane tries to set up Mary by stealing Mrs Barnsley’s ring. They never speak again. Sarah has Viola and Mary discovers that she is being used by her supposed friend.
Their supply ship ‘The Guardian’ hits an iceberg and is lost so there ship is stocked higher with supplies. Mrs Bransley gets sick and slowly sicker until they place her on the deck. Over time her cronies rub what’s left behind and Mary ends up tending to her on deck. Mary brings her back from deaths door.
Later Mr Nicol tells Mrs Bransley who really took care of her and when they are arriving in port she swears to be a mum to Mary.
Mary has eighteen children and two partners. She has great struggles but lives till she is 89 abs is buried in the church yard her son donated to the church.
Thoughts:-
Snappy, can feel the time period and those living within it.
Synopsis:-
Mary is living in poverty where her mum has to do anything she can to just feed and house them. She finds herself stealing an apple to eat and asking how her mums got money when the wages that her dad sent home was very little.
Mary steals a dress from a young girl after seeing her mother’s bible in the shop. She is determined to get it back. The local bully teases Mary into confessing what she was up too.
Catherine tells Mary Philips (little girl) who stole her dress. The police come and arrest Mary with Jane who is taken to two courts, found guilty and sentenced to death. They are taken to Newgate Prison and make friends with a girl called Sal.
Mary makes friends with Rachel and Jane starts to hang with other girls. Life is hard in the prison as Mary is shown time and again. Her mother visits often with food and Mary feels bad especially since her mother’s expecting.
Sal dies.
Jane and Mary are taken to court where they are offered transportation instead of hanging. They say yes and Mary does not get to say goodbye to her mother before she is taken to a ship bound for Australia.
She gets to see her sick mum before she leaves and is destroyed to hear her father has left them. She will be gone for the rest of her life from her siblings and her mother.
At least she has been reunited with Rachel yet she is back under the eye of Mrs Bransley.
Mary says goodbye to England, after Mr Nicole finds her mums bible and tries to return it to her but they have moved on. Mary clings to it. She has some strange experiences on ship, she gets close to Sarah, Jane stops speaking to her, two babies are born and Mrs Barnsley has set herself up well.
Jane tries to set up Mary by stealing Mrs Barnsley’s ring. They never speak again. Sarah has Viola and Mary discovers that she is being used by her supposed friend.
Their supply ship ‘The Guardian’ hits an iceberg and is lost so there ship is stocked higher with supplies. Mrs Bransley gets sick and slowly sicker until they place her on the deck. Over time her cronies rub what’s left behind and Mary ends up tending to her on deck. Mary brings her back from deaths door.
Later Mr Nicol tells Mrs Bransley who really took care of her and when they are arriving in port she swears to be a mum to Mary.
Mary has eighteen children and two partners. She has great struggles but lives till she is 89 abs is buried in the church yard her son donated to the church.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2018
What a fascinating story, I could have continued reading from this story I’d of loved to have read the story of her settling in Australia properly. Wow so so interesting and so different.
Mary Wade a poor girl who was only ever trying to help her family seemed to be doing the wrong things, as she goes one step too far one day she finds herself given the death sentence and is put in the worst jail in England. As the King decided to trial every convict she gets an offer of a freedom of sorts; to be sent to a new scary land called New South Wales. Her long and tiresome journey on Lady Juliana is filled with its good and bad parts but though an incredibly long journey she feels the heat, the air and is being fed, getting to see new lands as they stop and having an experience she never dreamt of having. As they eventually land in Australia ready to start their new lives she finally doesn’t feel so alone.
I seriously adored this story and would love to have so much more of it as it’s amazing and thrilling and so so different. So far I think this is my favourite from this series.
Mary Wade a poor girl who was only ever trying to help her family seemed to be doing the wrong things, as she goes one step too far one day she finds herself given the death sentence and is put in the worst jail in England. As the King decided to trial every convict she gets an offer of a freedom of sorts; to be sent to a new scary land called New South Wales. Her long and tiresome journey on Lady Juliana is filled with its good and bad parts but though an incredibly long journey she feels the heat, the air and is being fed, getting to see new lands as they stop and having an experience she never dreamt of having. As they eventually land in Australia ready to start their new lives she finally doesn’t feel so alone.
I seriously adored this story and would love to have so much more of it as it’s amazing and thrilling and so so different. So far I think this is my favourite from this series.
January 2, 2023
'No Way Back: The Journey of a convict' by Valerie Wilding is another good book in the My Story series. Each book in the series is written in diary format, with the author writing as though they are the main character.
In this book, 10-year-old Mary Wade sails to Australia as a convict on board the Lady Juliana.
Overall, a book that I found very entertaining and I learned a lot. I recommend this book to middle grade and teen readers who enjoy reading historical fiction books.
In this book, 10-year-old Mary Wade sails to Australia as a convict on board the Lady Juliana.
Overall, a book that I found very entertaining and I learned a lot. I recommend this book to middle grade and teen readers who enjoy reading historical fiction books.
November 9, 2019
This was an interesting read, and I enjoyed reading about my 6th great-grandmother.
June 14, 2020
i love it because it tell you what kinder happened in the older day when she was alive and it teaches you that stealing gets you nowhere in life
September 27, 2022
Mary is 9-10 years old during the course of the story, but she talks and acts more like a teenager. The book is formatted and narrated as a diary, even though it is not.
February 7, 2023
So good it really gets you in like your her on the boat
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2022
It was a great book that I got hooked into it and couldn’t stop reading it
Read
August 3, 2012a very heart touching book for all good readers and i hope that whoever reads this book likes it very much
September 17, 2013
pretty good book it was interesting
Read
December 18, 2013another really interesting story
about the life of Mary Wade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wade
easy to read and hard to put down
about the life of Mary Wade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wade
easy to read and hard to put down
May 28, 2014
Not my favourite book, but quite good for a My Story book.
February 3, 2015
It was sad at some points but overall well-written.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews