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Colours of Gold
A beautiful novel of a young girl’s life and adventures in the Australian goldfields — and how a painting revealed her story to the next generation of her family.
Annie Reuben is an art restorer in her father’s business, but times are tough. After being given a long-lost painting found in the basement of a condemned hotel, Annie becomes intrigued by the two girls who stare out at her from the ruined canvas. All she has are two names: Alice and Rosey...and a landscape from a century before.
1867: Named by the wife of the paddle steamer captain who finds her half drowned in the Murray River, Alice has a gift — she can see an aura of colours around the people she meets, but sometimes the colours tell her of impending doom. Learning to survive in a world which misunderstands her, Alice eventually runs away to the goldfields with her friend Rosey and joins a troupe of entertainers. While her fame and fortunes increase as people pay to hear her predictions, Alice can never escape her past...along with the frightening man in the dark coat who follows her wherever she goes.
Who were Alice and Rosey? And why does Annie find their lives so important? As Annie becomes caught up with seeking answers from the past, she finds herself seeing the same man in the dark coat who follows her wherever she goes. What is his connection to the painting?
Annie Reuben is an art restorer in her father’s business, but times are tough. After being given a long-lost painting found in the basement of a condemned hotel, Annie becomes intrigued by the two girls who stare out at her from the ruined canvas. All she has are two names: Alice and Rosey...and a landscape from a century before.
1867: Named by the wife of the paddle steamer captain who finds her half drowned in the Murray River, Alice has a gift — she can see an aura of colours around the people she meets, but sometimes the colours tell her of impending doom. Learning to survive in a world which misunderstands her, Alice eventually runs away to the goldfields with her friend Rosey and joins a troupe of entertainers. While her fame and fortunes increase as people pay to hear her predictions, Alice can never escape her past...along with the frightening man in the dark coat who follows her wherever she goes.
Who were Alice and Rosey? And why does Annie find their lives so important? As Annie becomes caught up with seeking answers from the past, she finds herself seeing the same man in the dark coat who follows her wherever she goes. What is his connection to the painting?
395 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Kaye Dobbie
35 books56 followersKaye Dobbie lives in an old house in the old gold rush town Bendigo, in the state of Victoria, Australia. She has been writing professionally ever since she won the Big River short story contest at the age of eighteen. Her career has undergone many changes, including writing Australian historical fiction under the name Lilly Sommers, to romance written as Sara Bennett/Sara Mackenzie and published by Avon in the USA. Her books have been translated into many languages. She is currently writing under her 'proper' name, Kaye Dobbie, and is published by Harlequin Mira in Australia and Weltbild in Germany. Kaye lives on the central Victorian goldfields, where she creates her stories and in her spare time researches her family tree.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 15, 2017
Wow! A spectacular novel set in and around Echuca and Melbourne during the goldrush days, The Colours of Gold was an absolute pleasure to read and one that will stay in my thoughts for a long time to come!
Captain Potter and his mate Bluey were contemplating the old barrel which was floating down the Murray River, tumbling in the turbulence while they chugged by in their paddle steamer, the Ariadne when suddenly the Captain noticed something odd. He gestured to Bluey to hurry – they needed to get the barrel out of the river. The sight that met their eyes when they prized the lid off gave them both a shock – the small girl inside looked dead. But then she moved…
Annie Reuben had seen the old canvas painting which had been closeted in the basement of a derelict old hotel for many years; she was excited as she recognised it as a Trompe L’oeil, a painting designed to create a three-dimensional illusion. Annie was a restorer of works of art, and part of her father’s business, Reuben & Reuben. She knew this was a work she wanted to restore – she loved a challenge. The two young girls in the picture intrigued Annie. Could she bring the painting back to its former glory?
Alice loved Molly, Captain Potter’s wife – it was she who had named her as Alice had no memory of her past. But the gift which Alice had - being able to see colours around the people she was near – meant people thought she wasn’t right in the head. Her life was destined to get harder – but it was the man in the dark coat who frightened her the most. When Rosey and Alice escaped Echuca and headed for the goldfields, they thought their future would improve. But would it? What would be the future in the stark reality of the 1800s Victoria?
Colours of Gold by Aussie author Kaye Dobbie is told in two timelines – Annie’s story in the current day, and The Girl’s story set in the mid-late 1800s. Fascinating and compelling, the mystery of the plot, the importance of the painting and the involvement of Annie in bringing Alice and Rosey to life – all make for a wonderful, thought-provoking novel which I highly recommend. I love the significance of the cover pic too - the canvas is easy to see. Fabulous!
Captain Potter and his mate Bluey were contemplating the old barrel which was floating down the Murray River, tumbling in the turbulence while they chugged by in their paddle steamer, the Ariadne when suddenly the Captain noticed something odd. He gestured to Bluey to hurry – they needed to get the barrel out of the river. The sight that met their eyes when they prized the lid off gave them both a shock – the small girl inside looked dead. But then she moved…
Annie Reuben had seen the old canvas painting which had been closeted in the basement of a derelict old hotel for many years; she was excited as she recognised it as a Trompe L’oeil, a painting designed to create a three-dimensional illusion. Annie was a restorer of works of art, and part of her father’s business, Reuben & Reuben. She knew this was a work she wanted to restore – she loved a challenge. The two young girls in the picture intrigued Annie. Could she bring the painting back to its former glory?
Alice loved Molly, Captain Potter’s wife – it was she who had named her as Alice had no memory of her past. But the gift which Alice had - being able to see colours around the people she was near – meant people thought she wasn’t right in the head. Her life was destined to get harder – but it was the man in the dark coat who frightened her the most. When Rosey and Alice escaped Echuca and headed for the goldfields, they thought their future would improve. But would it? What would be the future in the stark reality of the 1800s Victoria?
Colours of Gold by Aussie author Kaye Dobbie is told in two timelines – Annie’s story in the current day, and The Girl’s story set in the mid-late 1800s. Fascinating and compelling, the mystery of the plot, the importance of the painting and the involvement of Annie in bringing Alice and Rosey to life – all make for a wonderful, thought-provoking novel which I highly recommend. I love the significance of the cover pic too - the canvas is easy to see. Fabulous!
January 31, 2014
A frightening man in the dark coat looms large through COLOURS OF GOLD connecting the past and the present. Both of the two main characters, Alice in the past and Annie in the present, feel fear when the man appears. Alice is a child when the story opens in 1867 and she is petrified of the man in black, her sole focus is getting away from him as she knows he is following her. Rosie befriends Alice and when the two of them flee into the night they set in motion the events that led up to a painting being created of their adventures. It is this painting found in a derelict mansion in Melbourne in the present day that comes into the possession of Annie Reuben an art restorer. The painting is a Trompe L’oeil – to deceive or fool the eye, an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion – Annie is captivated by the two girls in the painting and starts to research their history.
Alice has a paranormal gift, she sees coloured lights swirling around people, and if the colour is dark then there is misfortune or even death in that person’s future, this gift is a strong part of the plot but I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is a paranormal story in any way shape or form, it is merely part of it, and is the reason why Alice and Rosie end up in with a troupe of entertainers and a change of fortune. Eventually in order to gain peace of mind both Alice and Annie need to confront the frightening man in the dark coat.
COLOURS OF GOLD is narrated by Annie in the present and by Alice and Rosie in the past and the two stories unfold and switch back and forth without any break in the flow. It did take me a while to settle into the story but once I was hooked about midway through I could not put the story down so eager was I to see the connection between the two characters and that frightening man in the dark coat.
Alice has a paranormal gift, she sees coloured lights swirling around people, and if the colour is dark then there is misfortune or even death in that person’s future, this gift is a strong part of the plot but I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is a paranormal story in any way shape or form, it is merely part of it, and is the reason why Alice and Rosie end up in with a troupe of entertainers and a change of fortune. Eventually in order to gain peace of mind both Alice and Annie need to confront the frightening man in the dark coat.
COLOURS OF GOLD is narrated by Annie in the present and by Alice and Rosie in the past and the two stories unfold and switch back and forth without any break in the flow. It did take me a while to settle into the story but once I was hooked about midway through I could not put the story down so eager was I to see the connection between the two characters and that frightening man in the dark coat.
February 4, 2014
Two stories run through this Australian set novel. One starts in the present day with Annie, an art restorer. She encounters a painting to assess and decide whether it is possible she can restore and save unit. In the painting are two figures, a paddle steamer, a hotel and various other scenes. Who are the figures and why does Annie feel there is a lot more to the story? She is determined to uncover the whole story.
The second story starts in 1867 when a child is found half drowned in a barrel by a paddle steamer captain. The Australian setting of the Murray River and area around is Echuca is well portrayed. Having been there once years ago, I could see it all again as I read. Alice has a gift which many do not understand; she can see colours around people which tell her what will happen to them. Some people are fearful of this gift and accuse her of bringing bad luck and death. Others, like Rosey accept her and become her friend.
The two stories connect as you suspect they will. One of the connecting features is the tall man in the dark coat, who appears throughout both time frames. This story thoroughly engaged me. At one stage I was more interested in the historical story, but as they started to intersect I became just as interested in Annie’s story. The characters are well drawn, the story moves at a good pace and the Australian landscape is a character that looms large too. Recommended reading for all who like a story with characters that come across as real, an Aussie setting with some history thrown in and a bit of romance for good measure.
The second story starts in 1867 when a child is found half drowned in a barrel by a paddle steamer captain. The Australian setting of the Murray River and area around is Echuca is well portrayed. Having been there once years ago, I could see it all again as I read. Alice has a gift which many do not understand; she can see colours around people which tell her what will happen to them. Some people are fearful of this gift and accuse her of bringing bad luck and death. Others, like Rosey accept her and become her friend.
The two stories connect as you suspect they will. One of the connecting features is the tall man in the dark coat, who appears throughout both time frames. This story thoroughly engaged me. At one stage I was more interested in the historical story, but as they started to intersect I became just as interested in Annie’s story. The characters are well drawn, the story moves at a good pace and the Australian landscape is a character that looms large too. Recommended reading for all who like a story with characters that come across as real, an Aussie setting with some history thrown in and a bit of romance for good measure.
May 9, 2014
Colours of Gold by Kaye Dobbie, also known as Sara Bennett and Lilly Sommers, is a captivating tale combining mystery, romance, history and a touch of 'other'.
With the narrative alternating between the past and the present, Colours of Gold tells the story of a small girl found near death in a sealed barrel in the Murray River in 1867 and her connection to a present day art restorer's discovery of a Trompe L'oeil in an old Melbourne hotel scheduled for demolition.
From the opening chapters of the historical timeline I was intrigued by the mysteries introduced by the author, namely the identity of the young girl rescued from the river, her extraordinary ability to see colours (aura) that warn her of a persons mood, misfortune or illness, and her fear of a tall man in a long dark coat that haunts her, day and night. Moving from the banks of the Murray, through the dusty streets of gold rush towns and finally to Melbourne, Dobbie deftly evokes the character and landscape of the historical period as Alice, and friend Rosey, struggle to escape their dark pasts, in hopes of creating a brighter future.
In the contemporary timeline, Annie Reuben is excited by the challenge presented by the conservation of the Trompe L'oeil found in the basement of the old Goldminer Hotel and intrigued by the people and the scenes it depicts, especially the figures of two young girls in the foreground. Despite the threat of interference by History Victoria, and a looming financial crisis, Annie is determined to solve the mystery of the painting, and find out what the sudden appearance of a man in a long dark coat means for her, and her daughter.
Well written, I thought the alternating chapters were particularly well structured, each advancing the story and merging neatly at the conclusion. Suspense is built carefully during the course of the novel, with the pace quickening as Alice and Annie get closer to solving the mysteries that concern them.
An entertaining and interesting novel, with appealing characters, I was surprised at how quickly I became invested in the story of Colours of Gold and how reluctant I was to put it down. This was a great read for me.
April 20, 2018
Colours of Gold is Aussie author Kaye Dobbie’s debut novel. While I have read Kaye’s later works, I was feeling some trepidation about going back to where it all started. I often find an author’s first book is not as good as their current because they are yet to be the writer I have come to know. Kaye proved the exception to the rule with her debut historical fiction tale that is set in the present time and 1867 in Victoria, Australia. Kaye also dabbles in the paranormal, which added further intrigue, as well as further themes of family, friendship, child labour, women’s roles in society and the Gold Rush to name just a few.
One of my favourite writing structure is the dual timeline. The majority of the time I am impatient to delve in to the past and hurry past the present but in Colours of Gold I enjoyed both timelines. Art restorer Annie Reuben is the protagonist in the present. Knowing nothing about this area, it was an educational and interesting read to learn how art restoration works. Most importantly, Kaye portrayed how it can become a passion, not just a job, if the right people are employed. On the flipside, it is just as political as any other job and has many problems that have to be dealt with, which is such a pity for such a rewarding career.
In 1867, a child named Alice can see auras, the dead and sometimes illnesses within a person. While I liked spending time with both Annie and Alice, Alice was definitely the most interesting character. Alice does not know who she is or where she comes from. Kaye has sensitively yet accurately described how difficult it was to be an abandoned girl and a child in the 19th century. Through Alice’s 18-year-old friend and ally, Rosey, Kaye shows the lack of choices women had in the late 1800s unless they were wealthy. It makes one very grateful to be born in modern times! Finding out the truth about Alice’s past was a wonderful adventure to embark upon with both girls as I was taken back to the Gold Rush era, absorbing little ‘nuggets’ of information along the way.
This is a wonderful introduction to the writing of Kaye Dobbie or a step back in time for fans eager to devour the book that began her career.
#AWWC number???#
One of my favourite writing structure is the dual timeline. The majority of the time I am impatient to delve in to the past and hurry past the present but in Colours of Gold I enjoyed both timelines. Art restorer Annie Reuben is the protagonist in the present. Knowing nothing about this area, it was an educational and interesting read to learn how art restoration works. Most importantly, Kaye portrayed how it can become a passion, not just a job, if the right people are employed. On the flipside, it is just as political as any other job and has many problems that have to be dealt with, which is such a pity for such a rewarding career.
In 1867, a child named Alice can see auras, the dead and sometimes illnesses within a person. While I liked spending time with both Annie and Alice, Alice was definitely the most interesting character. Alice does not know who she is or where she comes from. Kaye has sensitively yet accurately described how difficult it was to be an abandoned girl and a child in the 19th century. Through Alice’s 18-year-old friend and ally, Rosey, Kaye shows the lack of choices women had in the late 1800s unless they were wealthy. It makes one very grateful to be born in modern times! Finding out the truth about Alice’s past was a wonderful adventure to embark upon with both girls as I was taken back to the Gold Rush era, absorbing little ‘nuggets’ of information along the way.
This is a wonderful introduction to the writing of Kaye Dobbie or a step back in time for fans eager to devour the book that began her career.
#AWWC number???#
June 24, 2025
A beautiful and captivating read, following two incredible women, set over two time periods.
February 14, 2021
Thank you to Kaye Dobbie for sending us a copy to read and review.
Authentic and character driven portrayal of life on the central goldfields of Victoria is the baseline for an Australian historical fiction epic.
A saga that connects an incident and a power to the current day script.
The very classy cover, not unlike a fine art piece, invites you in.
Alice was found floating down the river in a barrel by the Captain of a ship.
Setting the stage for many questions as her journey in life gradually pieces the mystery.
Possessing the ability to see the future and spotting illness or gloom through colours is a detriment creating fear and chaos.
Clinging onto the few good souls who helped and grew to love to her she stepped cautiously through life.
A man in a long coat was following her and she was constantly running from him.
Annie in the modern day restores art.
Coming across a painting by a well known artist from the 1800’s in an attic she is immediately drawn to the scene it depicts and the faces on it.
A desire to unearth the mystery around where the scene was from and who the people are takes her on own journey.
The dual time line weaves the past and present beautifully.
The relationship between Alice and Rosey was adorable and quite an unlikely pairing. The description of life during this period was evocative and really placed you there. The heart beat of loss, anxiety and hope was not only etched on the pages but felt by the reader.
This is a story historical fiction lovers must read.
Authentic and character driven portrayal of life on the central goldfields of Victoria is the baseline for an Australian historical fiction epic.
A saga that connects an incident and a power to the current day script.
The very classy cover, not unlike a fine art piece, invites you in.
Alice was found floating down the river in a barrel by the Captain of a ship.
Setting the stage for many questions as her journey in life gradually pieces the mystery.
Possessing the ability to see the future and spotting illness or gloom through colours is a detriment creating fear and chaos.
Clinging onto the few good souls who helped and grew to love to her she stepped cautiously through life.
A man in a long coat was following her and she was constantly running from him.
Annie in the modern day restores art.
Coming across a painting by a well known artist from the 1800’s in an attic she is immediately drawn to the scene it depicts and the faces on it.
A desire to unearth the mystery around where the scene was from and who the people are takes her on own journey.
The dual time line weaves the past and present beautifully.
The relationship between Alice and Rosey was adorable and quite an unlikely pairing. The description of life during this period was evocative and really placed you there. The heart beat of loss, anxiety and hope was not only etched on the pages but felt by the reader.
This is a story historical fiction lovers must read.
February 1, 2021
Kaye Dobbie’s novel 'Colours of Gold' is as rich and colourful as the title. It is a fascinating dual time line page turner with complex characters that draw you into the world of art restoration and challenging adventures on the Australian goldfields.
The modern story is centred on a recovered painting that has one art restorer named Annie captivated by the two girls on the canvas. She goes about trying to unravel a mystery that has many strange twists and turns.
The 1867/ 1877 historical story line provides such detail and care, we feel as though we are transported to the setting where all our senses are employed. As a result, it is easy to get caught up in the emotional journey of Alice and her friend Rosie. Plus Kaye keeps us guessing until the end as to who is friend or foe which leads us to some very surprising revelations.
This is a creative story about identity, truth, misunderstandings and courage and a young girl with an unusual gift that at once almost causes her death, then tormenting grief-- until she learns to embrace the fact of what makes her ‘different’ can be used for good--thus sending her in a more positive direction. Eventually her search leads to the truth she seeks about herself and her family, bringing peace and balance into her life.
I loved this novel and highly recommend it to those who appreciate quality historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. 5 stars
The modern story is centred on a recovered painting that has one art restorer named Annie captivated by the two girls on the canvas. She goes about trying to unravel a mystery that has many strange twists and turns.
The 1867/ 1877 historical story line provides such detail and care, we feel as though we are transported to the setting where all our senses are employed. As a result, it is easy to get caught up in the emotional journey of Alice and her friend Rosie. Plus Kaye keeps us guessing until the end as to who is friend or foe which leads us to some very surprising revelations.
This is a creative story about identity, truth, misunderstandings and courage and a young girl with an unusual gift that at once almost causes her death, then tormenting grief-- until she learns to embrace the fact of what makes her ‘different’ can be used for good--thus sending her in a more positive direction. Eventually her search leads to the truth she seeks about herself and her family, bringing peace and balance into her life.
I loved this novel and highly recommend it to those who appreciate quality historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. 5 stars
July 30, 2023
Colours of Gold is the second novel I've read by Kaye Dobbie and I thought it was much better than the first. In The Lighthouse Keepers I was not too fond of the modern story and found the plot often dragged. Colours of Gold was a much better-paced novel and both time periods had exciting storylines. I found Annie's story particularly interesting as she began restoring a Trompe L'oeil depicting the life of a young girl. Intrigued by the painting, Annie starts researching the history behind it starting with the paddle boat she can see.
The relationship between Alice and Rosey was wonderful despite their differences. Rosey always took care of Alice to the best of her ability. I also loved that the novel was set around Echuca on the Murray River - a beautiful part of the world. The only thing I didn't really like in this novel was the paranormal element. I felt it detracted from the believability of the story.
However, the author did a great job alternating between the two timelines, Each moved the story forward and the way Dobbie brought them together was better than most making Colours of Gold a very enjoyable read.
The relationship between Alice and Rosey was wonderful despite their differences. Rosey always took care of Alice to the best of her ability. I also loved that the novel was set around Echuca on the Murray River - a beautiful part of the world. The only thing I didn't really like in this novel was the paranormal element. I felt it detracted from the believability of the story.
However, the author did a great job alternating between the two timelines, Each moved the story forward and the way Dobbie brought them together was better than most making Colours of Gold a very enjoyable read.
April 7, 2014
Annie Reuben is an art restorer, working in a business with her father that is well known and respected for restoring historic items and architecture to its former glory. Her latest project is a painting found in the basement of a hotel – a Trompe L’oeil depicting the life of a young girl. Annie becomes intrigued by the painting and the people in it and she wants to find out more about them. All she has to go on are a couple of names and where the painting was found but she decides to start digging, starting with the paddleboat that appears in a portion of the painting.
In 1867, a young girl is found in a barrel on the Murray River. Rescued by the captain of a paddleboat, he takes the young girl home to his wife, knowing that his wife will take care of her. About eight or so, the young girl has no idea what her name is and so she is named Alice. What most people don’t know is that Alice has a gift – she can see colours around people and in some cases, the colours tell her something, like impending doom. Sometimes she finds it hard to keep quiet about her gift which leads to people becoming wary and suspicious of her, believing that she brings bad luck. After it happens yet again and she loses someone very dear to her, Alice runs away with a friend named Rosey to try their luck on the goldfields. They don’t end up panning for gold but they do join a troupe of entertainers, setting in motion the course of events that will lead to the painting being completed as Alice attempts to find her history…and escape the man in the black coat who has always pursued her.
As Annie becomes more and more involved in the painting, she finds herself seeing the same man in the black coat. Who is he and what does he want? If she discovers his connection then maybe she can give him some peace and satisfy her curiosity about the girls in the painting and her connection to it.
I love a good history/contemporary dual narrative which was why I requested this book even though I was a bit dubious about Alice’s ‘gift’. I’m pretty skeptical about a lot of things like that and so when it began unfolding into the story, I was hoping that I would find it easy to believe and accept it and I’m pleased to say that I did. Although it’s a very strong part of the story, it doesn’t totally dominate. Both the contemporary and the historical parts of this book are well constructed and written and I was able to switch back and forth between them easily without being overly concerned about getting back to one part of the story or the other. That balance can be hard to achieve, to run two stories side by side giving equal attention to both and not having one of them be far too dominant for the reader’s attention.
In the present day, Annie is a single mother working in her father’s restoration business. They apply many crafts in order to maintain or restore historical artifacts and architecture but Annie’s current work is a painting, a Trompe L’oeil, which is a kind of painting that creates an optical illusion and looks three dimensional. It has fallen into a state of extreme disrepair from being shut up in a basement of a condemned building for many, many years and Annie has to examine it and decide what she will do to repair it. She becomes so fascinated with the characters in the painting and the story that she believes it’s trying to tell her that she immediately sets out to find more about them. This is how Annie and her father work – they take on expensive projects and put all their focus and energy into them because it’s their passion. They could make more money taking on more jobs that are less interesting and don’t require so much work but that simply isn’t the way Annie is wired. She throws herself into things, whole heartedly and perhaps even obsessively and although it’s admirable, it means that their business is not exactly thriving any longer and this stress is placing a strain on her father’s health. Annie knows that he wants her to take over soon but she’s not exactly sure she’s ready for that – she likes being able to lose herself in projects that interest her. However she also has her young daughter to think of as well – her responsibilities mean she might have to choose between a well paying job far away and the chance of future personal happiness locally.
In the historical setting, Alice is a foundling that possesses a sort of Sight and also a variation of synesthesia where she sees colours swirling around people. Different colours mean different things and when Alice sometimes tries to warn people they end up regarding her with fear and suspicion. She spends a large part of her young life on the run with her friend Rosey, who has her own past that she’s running from too. Both of them kind of lurch from one disaster to the next as they attempt to outrun a figure that terrifies Alice, a man in a black coat that she believes is hunting her down. Finally for some peace, Alice realises that she needs to find out about her past before she was discovered and try and discover who the man in the black coat really is and why he causes such conflicted feelings inside of her.
I really enjoyed this book – towards the end I found myself frantically turning pages, racing through the story to find out more about Alice’s past and exactly what the story was with the man in the black coat and his motivations and wondering why Annie had seen him as well in the present day. The more I got into the story, the more invested I was, in both the historical and the contemporary parts.
In 1867, a young girl is found in a barrel on the Murray River. Rescued by the captain of a paddleboat, he takes the young girl home to his wife, knowing that his wife will take care of her. About eight or so, the young girl has no idea what her name is and so she is named Alice. What most people don’t know is that Alice has a gift – she can see colours around people and in some cases, the colours tell her something, like impending doom. Sometimes she finds it hard to keep quiet about her gift which leads to people becoming wary and suspicious of her, believing that she brings bad luck. After it happens yet again and she loses someone very dear to her, Alice runs away with a friend named Rosey to try their luck on the goldfields. They don’t end up panning for gold but they do join a troupe of entertainers, setting in motion the course of events that will lead to the painting being completed as Alice attempts to find her history…and escape the man in the black coat who has always pursued her.
As Annie becomes more and more involved in the painting, she finds herself seeing the same man in the black coat. Who is he and what does he want? If she discovers his connection then maybe she can give him some peace and satisfy her curiosity about the girls in the painting and her connection to it.
I love a good history/contemporary dual narrative which was why I requested this book even though I was a bit dubious about Alice’s ‘gift’. I’m pretty skeptical about a lot of things like that and so when it began unfolding into the story, I was hoping that I would find it easy to believe and accept it and I’m pleased to say that I did. Although it’s a very strong part of the story, it doesn’t totally dominate. Both the contemporary and the historical parts of this book are well constructed and written and I was able to switch back and forth between them easily without being overly concerned about getting back to one part of the story or the other. That balance can be hard to achieve, to run two stories side by side giving equal attention to both and not having one of them be far too dominant for the reader’s attention.
In the present day, Annie is a single mother working in her father’s restoration business. They apply many crafts in order to maintain or restore historical artifacts and architecture but Annie’s current work is a painting, a Trompe L’oeil, which is a kind of painting that creates an optical illusion and looks three dimensional. It has fallen into a state of extreme disrepair from being shut up in a basement of a condemned building for many, many years and Annie has to examine it and decide what she will do to repair it. She becomes so fascinated with the characters in the painting and the story that she believes it’s trying to tell her that she immediately sets out to find more about them. This is how Annie and her father work – they take on expensive projects and put all their focus and energy into them because it’s their passion. They could make more money taking on more jobs that are less interesting and don’t require so much work but that simply isn’t the way Annie is wired. She throws herself into things, whole heartedly and perhaps even obsessively and although it’s admirable, it means that their business is not exactly thriving any longer and this stress is placing a strain on her father’s health. Annie knows that he wants her to take over soon but she’s not exactly sure she’s ready for that – she likes being able to lose herself in projects that interest her. However she also has her young daughter to think of as well – her responsibilities mean she might have to choose between a well paying job far away and the chance of future personal happiness locally.
In the historical setting, Alice is a foundling that possesses a sort of Sight and also a variation of synesthesia where she sees colours swirling around people. Different colours mean different things and when Alice sometimes tries to warn people they end up regarding her with fear and suspicion. She spends a large part of her young life on the run with her friend Rosey, who has her own past that she’s running from too. Both of them kind of lurch from one disaster to the next as they attempt to outrun a figure that terrifies Alice, a man in a black coat that she believes is hunting her down. Finally for some peace, Alice realises that she needs to find out about her past before she was discovered and try and discover who the man in the black coat really is and why he causes such conflicted feelings inside of her.
I really enjoyed this book – towards the end I found myself frantically turning pages, racing through the story to find out more about Alice’s past and exactly what the story was with the man in the black coat and his motivations and wondering why Annie had seen him as well in the present day. The more I got into the story, the more invested I was, in both the historical and the contemporary parts.
January 30, 2019
Leider muss ich sagen, dass mir der Schreibstil so gar nicht gefallen hat. Erst nachdem die Geschichte etwas Fahrt aufgenommen hatte, konnte ich ein wenig darüber hinweg sehen, was die Sache nicht besser gemacht hat.
Ein wenig vorhersehbar, aber interessant war die Story an sich schon, und das Ende fand ich schön, aber alles in allem wäre es noch ausbaufähig gewesen.
Ein wenig vorhersehbar, aber interessant war die Story an sich schon, und das Ende fand ich schön, aber alles in allem wäre es noch ausbaufähig gewesen.
August 31, 2025
Colours of Gold is an atmospheric dual-timeline story that weaves romance, history, and a touch of mystery. The shift between past and present was handled well, slowly drawing the threads together. Some parts moved a little slowly, but the payoff was rewarding, with secrets and connections revealed in a satisfying way. A good pick if you enjoy historical fiction with a strong Australian flavour.
May 29, 2017
Bought this book, and it was read within record time. Couldn't put it down. Have read the authors books under her other name Lilly Sommers, which were all great. Glad she is continuing to write as Kaye Dobbie, can't wait to read the next one!
September 2, 2020
A fantastic read.
October 31, 2023
A great read
April 15, 2023
Colours of Gold
by
Kaye Dobbie
Colours Of Gold flows/reads a lot better than The Lighthouse Keepers which was my previous read by this author. Again Ms. Dobbie has chosen to write in a then-and-now format.
Young Alice is saved from drowning, in a barrel, in the Murray River by River Boat Captain Potter.
Alice has a gift in that she can see an aura of colours around people, all people and the darker they are the more likely there is darkness in that person’s immediate future.
While Alice is working at Echuca’s Red Petticoat Hotel, she is befriended by Rosy. Rosy is one of the girls who ‘entertains’ the local gentleman whenever they call on her.
Rosy and Alice decide to leave Echuca one day planning to head for the gold fields, where Alice hopes to make her fortune digging for gold.
Present day Annie is an art restorer. She has been asked to restore a painting called Trompe L’oeil which features Alice, Rosy and several other characters from the past. Why is Annie drawn to this painting of the Victorian goldfields? But why does she find it so important to track down the names of people from a hundred years prior?
I found this an entertaining story. I liked the flow of the story and the fact that we had holidayed in Echuca and I had spent ten of my working years with Echuca being my half way to work lunch stop.
I thought Colours Of Gold was a four-star read.
At the time of writing my review, Goodreads readers have rated Colours Of Gold an average of 4.24 stars, from 170 ratings and 20 reviews.
by
Kaye Dobbie
Colours Of Gold flows/reads a lot better than The Lighthouse Keepers which was my previous read by this author. Again Ms. Dobbie has chosen to write in a then-and-now format.
Young Alice is saved from drowning, in a barrel, in the Murray River by River Boat Captain Potter.
Alice has a gift in that she can see an aura of colours around people, all people and the darker they are the more likely there is darkness in that person’s immediate future.
While Alice is working at Echuca’s Red Petticoat Hotel, she is befriended by Rosy. Rosy is one of the girls who ‘entertains’ the local gentleman whenever they call on her.
Rosy and Alice decide to leave Echuca one day planning to head for the gold fields, where Alice hopes to make her fortune digging for gold.
Present day Annie is an art restorer. She has been asked to restore a painting called Trompe L’oeil which features Alice, Rosy and several other characters from the past. Why is Annie drawn to this painting of the Victorian goldfields? But why does she find it so important to track down the names of people from a hundred years prior?
I found this an entertaining story. I liked the flow of the story and the fact that we had holidayed in Echuca and I had spent ten of my working years with Echuca being my half way to work lunch stop.
I thought Colours Of Gold was a four-star read.
At the time of writing my review, Goodreads readers have rated Colours Of Gold an average of 4.24 stars, from 170 ratings and 20 reviews.
June 19, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Colours of Gold'. Kaye Dobbie takes us on a journey to resolve the mystery of Alice's near drowning. Her dual narratives set on two different time periods work seamlessly. The story meanders at times but keeps you asking ' what next'. A neat twist brings Alice's haunting dilemma to a warm and satisfying conclusion.
June 8, 2015
Colours of Gold was a great tale of generations that had been lost over the years that through fate they found each other again. I loved how it was written with the story from the present generation Annie trying to figure out the past from discovering the painting and wanting to find its story and discovering how she was connected to it and the past generation telling her story of how she made it through her life and how her gift helped her along the way, then the both of them eventually connecting. Also it was based on one of my favourite places...Echuca and the era of the Paddle Steamer on the Murray River. Thank you Harlequin Books for choosing me to win this book, I loved reading it.
May 31, 2016
'Colours of Gold' by Kaye Dobbie was one of those dual narratives (which I love if they are done well), moving between the present day and the 1860s. An art restorer traces the history of a painting she discovers in an about-to-be-demolished old Melbourne hotel and so we travel back in time to the paddle steamer days in Echuca on the Murray River, the Victorian goldfields and later, Melbourne, to learn the background behind the girls and locations depicted in the painting. Well-paced with realistic situations (even the ghost made sense!) and evocative descriptions of life and survival in gold rush Australia.
July 26, 2015
Absolutely brilliant story. I loved how the two stories were told, towards the end I wanted to skip the Annie chapters so I could find out what happened to The Girl, but I stopped myself. Although I am more familiar with Mildura than Echuca, I could picture the scenes so clearly. And having been on a cruise along the Murray on a restored paddle steamer it was all very familiar. I really loved this book & highly recommend it, especially if you have an interest in Australian History & the mighty Murray River.
October 8, 2016
I read this over the weekend, with its great story lines, I just had to finish it. Set in Victoria when paddle steamers were king and also modern day Melbourne, the two stories slowly connect. I love reading books with dual stories and this story had an extra component that made it a little bit different - the man in the black coat who was terrorising through both stories - that kept me reading. Who was he and what did he want?
November 18, 2015
The old and the new, in one great story... I loved it. I enjoyed the way 2 stories came together to make the whole book completely wonderful. Knowing the different towns that were locations in the novel allowed me to see how well the author described and knew these places. The characters were both quirky and lovable. About to start another Kaye Dobbie novel.
March 17, 2014
Kay Dobbie is a great storyteller and brings the Aussie Outback to life. Loved this book and couldn't put it down to the very last page.
February 23, 2014
I enjoyed this book partly set on the Murray from 1867 to present day.
May 16, 2015
absolutely loved this book, hope she writes more
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