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The Captive Wife
A prize-winning novel that has become a New Zealand classic. When Betty Guard steps ashore in Sydney, in 1834, she meets with a heroine's welcome. Her survival during a four-month kidnapping ordeal amongst Taranaki Maori is hailed as nothing short of a miracle. But questions about what really happened slowly surface within the elite governing circles of the raw new town of Sydney. Jacky Guard, ex-convict turned whaler, had taken Betty as his wife to his New Zealand whaling station when she was fourteen. After several years and two children, the family is returning from a visit to Sydney when their barque is wrecked near Mount Taranaki. A battle with local Maori follows, and Betty and her children are captured. Her husband goes to seek a ransom, but instead England engages in its first armed conflict with New Zealand Maori when he is persuaded to return with two naval ships. After her violent rescue, Betty's life amongst the tribe comes under intense scrutiny. Based on real events, this is the compelling story of a marriage, of love and duty, and the quest for freedom in a pioneering age.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
34 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Kidman
55 books66 followersFiona Kidman is a leading contemporary novelist, short story writer and poet. Much of her fiction is focused on how outsiders navigate their way in narrowly conformist society. She has published a large and exciting range of fiction and poetry, and has worked as a librarian, producer and critic. Kidman has won numerous awards, and she has been the recipient of fellowships, grants and other significant honours, as well as being a consistent advocate for New Zealand writers and literature. She is the President of Honour for the New Zealand Book Council, and has been awarded an OBE and a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 29, 2016
The Captive Wife is set in the 1830's, spanning ten years from 1832 -1843 and is based around the lives of two women, one the young Betty Guard and the other her school teacher Adeline Malcolm, whom Betty takes as her confidant, to share what exactly happened to her and her children, when they were taken captive on the shores of New Zealand, during one of their frequent visits.
In narrating her story, we come to know the circumstances of these women and their men and how they came to be living in Sydney, where much of the story is based. The man Betty is betrothed to Captain John (Jacky) Guard, arrived on one of the convict transport ships, a petty criminal, but one whose fortunes have changed as he gets involved in seafaring and whaling.
Miss Malcolm had been a teacher and is now a governess to two children, her situation somewhat precarious since the death of her mistress and her employer's disapproval of her connection with the so-called captive wife, Betty Guard, whom rumour has it, was not as captive as many would have them believe.
Jacky Guard takes Betty to New Zealand as his wife and they set up home in a bay that is handy for their whaling activities and where it is easy to trade with the native Maori population. Jacky trades with, though doesn't trust the Maori Rangatira (chief), Te Rauparaha. He is able to negotiate with him, but fears he may have disrespected some of their taboo beliefs. There are constant challenges to their attempt to settle on this land, each time they return to Sydney, their home and belongings are often burned on their return.
Sometimes the whalers invade the villages and fraternise or do worse with the local women and it is through one of these misunderstandings that their lives come under threat and the young Betty is taken captive with her two children.
The novel is based on real events and is compellingly told, as two cultures clash and one way of life is gradually imposed upon another, although the perspective is more oriented towards the colonists, as much of the narrative is told through entries in Jacky Guard's journal and in the oral narrative of his wife to her ex school teacher.
It is only through Betty's eyes that we see and experience something of the Maori way of life and their reaction to the arrival of these whalers and traders and the devastation they introduce with what they bring. Betty stays long enough with the tribe to begin to see the value in their ways and it is this sympathy that is subsequently seen as suspicious, as a betrayal not just to her so-called husband, but to the colonial masters.
Betty's experiences are those of a young woman, though it is as if she has lived much more than her years. Her story is told to Miss Malcolm, who though much older is as much a captive herself, in her spinsterhood and in her inability to communicate her own hidden desire, which Betty's story forces her to confront.
In real life Betty Guard (born Elizabeth Parker in Parramatta, Sydney) made her first voyage with Captain Jacky Guard when she was either 12 or 15 years old, and he 23 years older than her. She is said to have been the first woman of European descent to settle in the South Island of New Zealand and her son John, the first Pakeha child born in the South Island.
She and her family were captured at one point, her husband released with orders to return with a ransom. Her ordeal was later described in a somewhat lurid report in the Sydney Herald of 17 November 1834. It was four months before a rescue mission was dispatched to bring them back. She and her family eventually settled in Kakapo Bay, where she is buried and where some of their descendants continue to live today.
The Captive Wife is an intriguing story and although a part of me wishes someone would write a novel from the perspective of the indigenous people, at least this gives us an alternative insight, by giving a significant portion of the narrative to the women who lived through these times, rather than referring to them in the footnotes, as was normally the case, as 'the woman'.
Fiona Kidman in an interview with Kelly Ana Morey of ANZL, the Academy of New Zealand Literature had this to say about communicating with her characters, during the writing process:
In narrating her story, we come to know the circumstances of these women and their men and how they came to be living in Sydney, where much of the story is based. The man Betty is betrothed to Captain John (Jacky) Guard, arrived on one of the convict transport ships, a petty criminal, but one whose fortunes have changed as he gets involved in seafaring and whaling.
Miss Malcolm had been a teacher and is now a governess to two children, her situation somewhat precarious since the death of her mistress and her employer's disapproval of her connection with the so-called captive wife, Betty Guard, whom rumour has it, was not as captive as many would have them believe.
Jacky Guard takes Betty to New Zealand as his wife and they set up home in a bay that is handy for their whaling activities and where it is easy to trade with the native Maori population. Jacky trades with, though doesn't trust the Maori Rangatira (chief), Te Rauparaha. He is able to negotiate with him, but fears he may have disrespected some of their taboo beliefs. There are constant challenges to their attempt to settle on this land, each time they return to Sydney, their home and belongings are often burned on their return.
Sometimes the whalers invade the villages and fraternise or do worse with the local women and it is through one of these misunderstandings that their lives come under threat and the young Betty is taken captive with her two children.
The novel is based on real events and is compellingly told, as two cultures clash and one way of life is gradually imposed upon another, although the perspective is more oriented towards the colonists, as much of the narrative is told through entries in Jacky Guard's journal and in the oral narrative of his wife to her ex school teacher.
It is only through Betty's eyes that we see and experience something of the Maori way of life and their reaction to the arrival of these whalers and traders and the devastation they introduce with what they bring. Betty stays long enough with the tribe to begin to see the value in their ways and it is this sympathy that is subsequently seen as suspicious, as a betrayal not just to her so-called husband, but to the colonial masters.
Betty's experiences are those of a young woman, though it is as if she has lived much more than her years. Her story is told to Miss Malcolm, who though much older is as much a captive herself, in her spinsterhood and in her inability to communicate her own hidden desire, which Betty's story forces her to confront.
In real life Betty Guard (born Elizabeth Parker in Parramatta, Sydney) made her first voyage with Captain Jacky Guard when she was either 12 or 15 years old, and he 23 years older than her. She is said to have been the first woman of European descent to settle in the South Island of New Zealand and her son John, the first Pakeha child born in the South Island.
She and her family were captured at one point, her husband released with orders to return with a ransom. Her ordeal was later described in a somewhat lurid report in the Sydney Herald of 17 November 1834. It was four months before a rescue mission was dispatched to bring them back. She and her family eventually settled in Kakapo Bay, where she is buried and where some of their descendants continue to live today.
The Captive Wife is an intriguing story and although a part of me wishes someone would write a novel from the perspective of the indigenous people, at least this gives us an alternative insight, by giving a significant portion of the narrative to the women who lived through these times, rather than referring to them in the footnotes, as was normally the case, as 'the woman'.
Fiona Kidman in an interview with Kelly Ana Morey of ANZL, the Academy of New Zealand Literature had this to say about communicating with her characters, during the writing process:
I tend to live inside my characters for a long time when I’m thinking about a book. They go with me wherever I go, and sit beside me in the car. This is true, I’m talking to them all the time. And what is happening is that for the most part I’m thinking about how I would have responded to their situations had I been in them.
This was particularly true of Betty Guard, about whom very little was known – and I take some credit for uncovering her true origins and giving her to her descendants – generally, in historical references she was a footnote and referred to as ‘the woman’. I loved giving her a full-blooded persona and thinking myself into the pa sites where she was taken, and discovering both captivity and a wild freedom of the self.
September 26, 2019
I'm a sucker for revisionist fiction lately and this is a brilliant example of what a talented author can do with thorough historical research and beautiful imagination.
The recreation of the historical speech and mannerisms is especially noteworthy, and the story was a pleasure to read. I loved the way the seeds of anthropological thought and cross-cultural empathy were sown but not quite grown in the views presented. It's the way it most probably was - some doubts into the self-centric narrative, but not quite 'there' yet.
A part which struck me as decidedly modern in spite of the historical sheen the author tried to paint over it:
"He wanted to know if I was happy.
Yes, I said, for I was not unhappy. I didn't tell him about the dreams when he wasn't there, or the sense of loss I could not shake. As I had never fallen in love before, the way I had with Oaoiti, I couldn't compare my feelings. But I guessed that it might be the same for all who fell in love - after all, I had seen enough of the way my mother carried on - that at the beginning everything is perfect. And then you begin to see that the world hasn't changed, only you. That the same ordinary things still have to be attended to. You start picking holes in your happiness." (241-242)
The recreation of the historical speech and mannerisms is especially noteworthy, and the story was a pleasure to read. I loved the way the seeds of anthropological thought and cross-cultural empathy were sown but not quite grown in the views presented. It's the way it most probably was - some doubts into the self-centric narrative, but not quite 'there' yet.
A part which struck me as decidedly modern in spite of the historical sheen the author tried to paint over it:
"He wanted to know if I was happy.
Yes, I said, for I was not unhappy. I didn't tell him about the dreams when he wasn't there, or the sense of loss I could not shake. As I had never fallen in love before, the way I had with Oaoiti, I couldn't compare my feelings. But I guessed that it might be the same for all who fell in love - after all, I had seen enough of the way my mother carried on - that at the beginning everything is perfect. And then you begin to see that the world hasn't changed, only you. That the same ordinary things still have to be attended to. You start picking holes in your happiness." (241-242)
May 31, 2017
The Captive Wife is set in the 1830's, and spans ten years (1832 -1843). It tells the story of Betty Guard, who at fourteen, marries a former convict turned whaler. He takes Betty as his wife and they head to a New Zealand whaling station. After several years, and two children, the family decides to return to Australia but along the way their ship is wrecked. After a battle with one of the Maori tribes, Betty and two of her children are kidnapped.
Betty decides to take school teacher, Adeline Malcolm, into her confidence and share the story of her kidnapping. She tells Adeline, "I’m not going to tell you the story the way it happened. I’m going to tell it the way I remember it.” The tale is told through various characters viewpoints as well as letters and journals.
This was a fascinating story and I had no idea when I started it that it was based on an actual event. I thought the author did a great job of researching the time and place. I wasn't riveted by the book in the beginning and it may be due to the awkward jumping between the narrations and viewpoints. I did enjoy that the characters are neither good, nor bad, and they earned my sympathy. I thought it was a great look at the at the social politics of early New Zealand, as well as the misogyny of the time. It was a gripping look at the early settlement between Australia and New Zealand and the culture of those times.
Betty decides to take school teacher, Adeline Malcolm, into her confidence and share the story of her kidnapping. She tells Adeline, "I’m not going to tell you the story the way it happened. I’m going to tell it the way I remember it.” The tale is told through various characters viewpoints as well as letters and journals.
This was a fascinating story and I had no idea when I started it that it was based on an actual event. I thought the author did a great job of researching the time and place. I wasn't riveted by the book in the beginning and it may be due to the awkward jumping between the narrations and viewpoints. I did enjoy that the characters are neither good, nor bad, and they earned my sympathy. I thought it was a great look at the at the social politics of early New Zealand, as well as the misogyny of the time. It was a gripping look at the early settlement between Australia and New Zealand and the culture of those times.
May 12, 2022
The Captive Wife by Fiona Kidman found this one to be a little beguiling, at first I was like uncertain about where the story was going or understanding how the characters were developing, the pacing I found much slower than what I am accustomed too. Furthermore I'm a bit of a big-picture global thinker and reader sort, so all the lengthy detailed descriptions and older Victorian manners both in thought and speech further threw me off from fully enjoying the life story of this young woman Elizabeth Parker (betty), who marries this sea captain, who takes her too New Zealand later they are captured by Maori's. This is the main conflict with the aftermath of what white society thought about and reacted too Betty when she returned months later too Australia. It was both better than I expected as well as confusing and disappointing. The writing was good the pacing was slow the direction was multi-viewpoints but the main character was Betty, the Maori's were key but not essential too this story and that for me was disappointing, for they seem a bit under-defined so I can only give this effort three stars. If your interested in early New Zealand English settlement history then I would recommend this book to you otherwise it's a bit long for a pretty slow story.
a
a
September 4, 2025
Slow start, tiny writing in the Penguin edition, but then I couldn’t put it down! I was surprised it was written so recently (2005) as the language depicted the times of the 1830’s when Australia and New Zealand were being settled by Europeans. It is based on a true story of the Māori capture of Betty Guard and her children during a violent confrontation. I love the way the story narration moved between the main characters. It was also a real and confronting insight into the lives of early settlers and the seemingly inevitable conflict of European colonisation.
September 26, 2013
When Betty Guard steps ashore in Sydney, in 1834, she meets with a heroine's welcome. Her survival during a four-month kidnapping ordeal amongst Taranaki Maori is hailed as nothing short of a miracle. But questions about what really happened surface within the elite governing circles of the raw new town of Sydney.
Jacky Guard, ex-convict turned whaler, had taken Betty as his wife to his New Zealand whaling station when she was fourteen. After several years and two children, the family is returning from Sydney, when their barque is wrecked near Mount Taranaki. A battle with the local Maori follows, and Betty and her children are captured.
Based on fact this is a fictionalised account of the kidnapping by a Maori chief and the subsequent rescue of Betty Guard and her two children in 1834. Although a story about love and the quest for freedom in a pioneering age it is a look at the social and sexual politics of early New Zealand.
A fascinating read, well written and I liked the perspectives from the various narrators to tell the story. Recommended****
Jacky Guard, ex-convict turned whaler, had taken Betty as his wife to his New Zealand whaling station when she was fourteen. After several years and two children, the family is returning from Sydney, when their barque is wrecked near Mount Taranaki. A battle with the local Maori follows, and Betty and her children are captured.
Based on fact this is a fictionalised account of the kidnapping by a Maori chief and the subsequent rescue of Betty Guard and her two children in 1834. Although a story about love and the quest for freedom in a pioneering age it is a look at the social and sexual politics of early New Zealand.
A fascinating read, well written and I liked the perspectives from the various narrators to tell the story. Recommended****
May 25, 2011
I made comment to a fellow book club member that this really was "not my cup of tea" but I started it thinking at that at least was something.....I was quickly captivated (pun intended)and unable to put it down.
Set during the 1820/30's between Sydney Australia and various settlements along the West coast of New Zealand. It depicts the conflict between indigenous New Zealand Maori, the Kings representatives from England, whalers, sailors, convicts and women. All are trying to make something out of their lot in life - some with a lot more dignity than others. None of which was predictable but certainly understandable. A well researched and skillfully written read that kept me guessing right to the end.
I have much to discuss at my next meeting.
Set during the 1820/30's between Sydney Australia and various settlements along the West coast of New Zealand. It depicts the conflict between indigenous New Zealand Maori, the Kings representatives from England, whalers, sailors, convicts and women. All are trying to make something out of their lot in life - some with a lot more dignity than others. None of which was predictable but certainly understandable. A well researched and skillfully written read that kept me guessing right to the end.
I have much to discuss at my next meeting.
July 16, 2012
Hmmmmm....this book didn't make an impression on me ....yet i tried soo hard to finish it....i don't regret reding it! For the ones that like family books...i recommand this one!
P.S I loved the savages(mauri):):):)
P.S I loved the savages(mauri):):):)
May 5, 2019
This story is great. I'm sure Betty was only doing what would keep her alive for her kids sake.
March 9, 2018
Excellent fictional account of an true event and an interesting time in NZ history.
July 26, 2020
This was a calm book, without twists and turns but with satisfying characters, and an ending that leaves you feeling everything turned out as it should do.
Betty Guard is the child bride to Jacky Guard, a whaler from Sydney’s Rocks who sets up a whaling station in Kakapo bay near Port Underwood in the Marborough Sounds.
Betty is captured by Maori at Taranaki and Jacky must raise two British war ships to free her and his two children. But things are tense between them on their return to Sydney.
Betty slowly relates her adventures to her old governess Adeline Malcolm who is going through her own life crisis. It seems Betty fell in love with a Maori chief Oaoiti whilst in “captivity” and found a freedom that a Victorian white woman could never have had.
Betty Guard is the child bride to Jacky Guard, a whaler from Sydney’s Rocks who sets up a whaling station in Kakapo bay near Port Underwood in the Marborough Sounds.
Betty is captured by Maori at Taranaki and Jacky must raise two British war ships to free her and his two children. But things are tense between them on their return to Sydney.
Betty slowly relates her adventures to her old governess Adeline Malcolm who is going through her own life crisis. It seems Betty fell in love with a Maori chief Oaoiti whilst in “captivity” and found a freedom that a Victorian white woman could never have had.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2023
Well worth reading. A bit of a slow start but worth persevering. The story became more interesting and involved the further I read. The Captive wife gives insight in Australian and New Zealand life from late 1820's to the late 1830's from the perspective of people who actually lived in those times. I enjoyed googling the main characters to find out more about them. It was great to see photos of them as well.
July 5, 2021
This book was a bit of a slow burn at the start for me but very quickly I couldn’t put it down. It gave me very turbulent emotions but the end of the book left me very calm, peaceful, and wholly satisfied.
My favourite line:
Of course we are different me and her. Still I said you loved him.
Yes she said. I did and now I do not. But I am forever changed by it. p.346
My favourite line:
Of course we are different me and her. Still I said you loved him.
Yes she said. I did and now I do not. But I am forever changed by it. p.346
November 21, 2023
Mum's recommendation :)
Historical fiction based on a true story. I struggled a bit to get through, but was well satisfied by the end.
I have a big old list of books to get through, but perhaps it's time to give the History of New Zealand another crack.
I think I'll leave my reading challenge here as well. I get the sense I want to ignore it next year.
Historical fiction based on a true story. I struggled a bit to get through, but was well satisfied by the end.
I have a big old list of books to get through, but perhaps it's time to give the History of New Zealand another crack.
I think I'll leave my reading challenge here as well. I get the sense I want to ignore it next year.
November 19, 2018
This is my first read by a New Zealand author. Kidman had intriguing characters while building a wonderful view of early life in the British colonies. This book definitely left me wanting more to life in the rugged islands.
February 5, 2019
Intriguing read
Fragmented journal style but quite easy to follow. Would be interesting to anyone interested in New Zealand or Australian history
Fragmented journal style but quite easy to follow. Would be interesting to anyone interested in New Zealand or Australian history
June 9, 2019
Found this hard to get into as it seemed to jump from year to year too much. However it was an excellent read depicting a true event in the very early settling life of NZ
May 10, 2020
Love the writing; Kidman paints the setting meticulously. My only criticism is that I would have liked more of the story to take place while she was kidnapped.
May 17, 2020
Interesting read about a bit of NZ history but I could not warm to any of the characters.
August 14, 2022
New Zealand historical fiction. Interesting reference to the first military attack on the New Zealanders.
July 12, 2024
A well written insight into an interesting part of NZ and Australian history
September 14, 2025
Interesting but pedestrian
January 15, 2015
When I picked this book up at the library, I didn't know it was based on a true story. I am glad I realized it before I started reading, as it put an entirely different perspective on what I was reading. The story begins in Australia. John Guard is a former convict who has served his time and is busy establishing himself as a whaler and trader. He contracts to marry Betty, a 14 year old girl who is the niece of his housekeeper and cook. He takes her off to New Zealand with him, where he has established a whaling station. His relationship with the local Maori tribe is a little tenuous, and eventually sets him at odds with the enemy tribes. When they are shipwrecked in the enemy territory, his wife and children are taken captive by the local tribe and held for ransom.
The book is well written and even though it jumps around a bit in time, it is clear as to who is speaking and where in the timeline we are. The most compelling aspect to me was what happened after Betty and her children are rescued. The misogyny of the time period is well depicted, as well as the total lack of options available to a woman who could no longer rely on the support of her husband or other close male family member. A nice depiction of life in Australia and New Zealand in the 1830's, and rather than seeming to side with the Maori or the Pakeha, it gives an equally uncomplimentary picture of both. Or, I should say, depicts rather well that all groups of people have their good and bad individuals.
The book is well written and even though it jumps around a bit in time, it is clear as to who is speaking and where in the timeline we are. The most compelling aspect to me was what happened after Betty and her children are rescued. The misogyny of the time period is well depicted, as well as the total lack of options available to a woman who could no longer rely on the support of her husband or other close male family member. A nice depiction of life in Australia and New Zealand in the 1830's, and rather than seeming to side with the Maori or the Pakeha, it gives an equally uncomplimentary picture of both. Or, I should say, depicts rather well that all groups of people have their good and bad individuals.
February 14, 2015
This was an interesting novel. It is based on real events and the story is told through multiple characters perspectives using journal entries/ letters and various recounts and conversations. I didn't love this book, but the story carried me along quickly and I have to admit it was a fascinating voyage. It felt like and important story- one that needed to be told. I started the book feeling a great deal of mistrust towards one particular character who was clearly concealing the truth. This intrigue kept me turning those pages- and FAST. The characters are strongly drawn and well realized. I enjoyed the differing perspectives employed to tell this story, from Jacky's basic journal entries to the enlightening and intense conversations between Betty and Adie. I would definitely recommend this book.
May 31, 2011
"I’m not going to tell you the story the way it happened. I’m going to tell it the way I remember it." That's how the protagonist in Charles Dickens book Great Expectations explains how he's going to tell the story. And this is the method Ms. Kidman uses to tell this remarkable story. Although a work of fiction, the basic story is factual. What really sets this book apart is the way the story is revealed through the musings, letters, etc. of the main characters. It's not a clear case of good versus evil or right versus wrong. I won't give any particulars but it's one of the best books I've read which gives an accurate and personal account of early life in Australia and New Zealand. I highly recommend this book!
September 11, 2011
Funny thing; a couple of days after I started reading this I began wondering if this was fiction or historical fiction. Then that very day I walked into Te Papa where there was a display on John and Betty Guard and their family, including the comb and the green meat dish which both figure prominently in the book. That answers that question. This book felt like a really honest account of what life was like in New Zealand in the 1830s. I found the jumping between narrators detracted from the story at times but it did allow for the chronological jumping back and forth which was important to the plot development. I particularly enjoyed Betty and John's narratives but found the others less valuable to the story.
July 22, 2021
Fictional novel told through various characters' points of view in letters, journals, and dialogue which is based on a real event of the 19th century involving the kidnapping of a young Australian wife and her children by New Zealand Maori. Nearly all of the novel follows the life of the young woman and her ex-convict whaler husband before and after (but little during) the kidnapping. I didn't find most of the characters to be very well-developed and thought the main device of revealing the story of the kidnapping, the young wife telling the story to an unsympathetic and virtual stranger, ineffective and unlikely.
March 28, 2014
I didn't realize that this was based on a real story. I knew the author was noted for meticulous research. I wish there was a note by the author at the end citing some of her sources. I guess she did this somewhat in her thanks at the end. This makes me appreciate this story more and revise my rating up a star. I have taken care of girls her age pregnant. While I don't recommend this lifestyle for any girl, some of them have this strong character that Bety exhibited. Heartbreaking story of a strong resilient woman making the best of what life served her.
September 7, 2007
Quite simply the best book I've read in the last year. Based on a real Sydney whaler who married his 14-year old maid and took her to New Zealand - where she was kidnapped by a Maori tribe - this story is utterly gripping. Fiona Kidman is one of NZ's grande dames of letters. It's a real shame you cannot find this book in a single Australian bookstore.
May 11, 2011
Really enjoyable! Betty Guard, the heroine based on real life, is kidnapped by Taranaki Maori for four months. She is a true battler and the book gives a wonderful insight into 1830's New Zealand. Jacky Guard, ex-convict turned whaler is a strong, awkward character who evokes some pity in spite of his stance at times.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews