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Convict Girls #1
Behind the Sun
Four women on a perilous journey to a new world, can rely only on their wits to survive ... and each other Irreverent and streetwise prostitute Friday Woolfe is in London's notorious Newgate gaol, awaiting transportation. there, she meets three other intelligent and opportunistic thief, Sarah Morgan, naive young Rachel Winter, and reliable and capable seamstress, Harriet Clarke.On the voyage to New South Wales their friendship becomes an unbreakable bond - but there are others on board who will change their lives forever. Friday makes an implacable enemy of Bella Jackson, a vicious woman whose power seems undiminished by her arrest and transportation, while Harriet is taken under the wing of an idealistic doctor, James Downey. Rachel catches the eye of a sinister passenger with more than honour on his mind.When they finally arrive on the other side of the world, they are confined to the grim and overcrowded Parramatta Female Factory. But worse is to come as the threat of separation looms. In the land behind the sun, the only thing they have is each other ...
492 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
102 people are currently reading
1159 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Challinor
24 books245 followersBorn in Huntly, she holds a PhD in New Zealand history from the University of Waikato. Challinor has worked as a fulltime writer and historian since 2000.
Primarily known for her historical novels, Deborah Challinor’s first published books were non-fiction history books, including the best-selling Grey Ghosts: New Zealand Vietnam Vets Talk About Their War (Hodder Moa Beckett, 1998).
Her first historical novel, Tamar, was published in 2002 and has been reprinted six times. Tamar is set in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and South Africa and covers the period from 1879 until the Boer War. The series continues with White Feathers (2003) and Blue Smoke (2004).
Union Belle (2005) tells the love story of a young woman caught up in the 1951 waterfront strike, and Kitty (2006) is set in the Bay of Islands in nineteenth century New Zealand. Both novels have been at the top of the New Zealand fiction bestseller list.
Attention to historical detail is an important part of writing for Challinor. ‘I base my novels on actual historical events, and it’s very important to me to research those events in depth and to present them accurately,’ she says.
Reviewing Union Belle in North and South magazine in April 2005, Warwick Roger commented that: ‘You can smell the beer and cigarette smoke in the public bar of the Huntly Hotel, hear the band at the Saturday night dances at the miner’s hall … it’s a book I kept sneaking back to whenever I had a spare quarter hour, eager to advance the story.’
Fire (HarperCollins, 2007), Challinor's seventh novel, is set in Auckland during the hype leading up to the royal visit of 1953, but is based on the Ballantyne’s department store fire of 1947 in Christchurch. A powerful and dramatic story of passion, ambition and greed, it became a number one bestseller.
Amber, the sequel to Kitty, was published later in 2007 and also became a bestseller. Amber opens in New Zealand in 1945, on the eve of the Northern War in the Bay of Islands, in which Kitty is caught up. Sent to Auckland away from the fighting, Kitty encounters an orphaned part-Maori girl she names Amber. Together they return to the Bay of Islands, where both Kitty must risk her own life to save Amber’s.
Isle of Tears (HarperCollins NZ Ltd, 2009) is a story about 14-year-old Scottish immigrant Isla McKinnon and her younger brothers and sister. When they are orphaned they are adopted by Taranaki Maori and become caught up in the wars in Taranaki, the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
A revised edition of Challinor’s Grey Ghosts (HarperCollins NZ) was published in 2009. This edition included a new chapter on how the New Zealand Vietnam veteran community has fared since the book was first published in 1998.
Primarily known for her historical novels, Deborah Challinor’s first published books were non-fiction history books, including the best-selling Grey Ghosts: New Zealand Vietnam Vets Talk About Their War (Hodder Moa Beckett, 1998).
Her first historical novel, Tamar, was published in 2002 and has been reprinted six times. Tamar is set in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and South Africa and covers the period from 1879 until the Boer War. The series continues with White Feathers (2003) and Blue Smoke (2004).
Union Belle (2005) tells the love story of a young woman caught up in the 1951 waterfront strike, and Kitty (2006) is set in the Bay of Islands in nineteenth century New Zealand. Both novels have been at the top of the New Zealand fiction bestseller list.
Attention to historical detail is an important part of writing for Challinor. ‘I base my novels on actual historical events, and it’s very important to me to research those events in depth and to present them accurately,’ she says.
Reviewing Union Belle in North and South magazine in April 2005, Warwick Roger commented that: ‘You can smell the beer and cigarette smoke in the public bar of the Huntly Hotel, hear the band at the Saturday night dances at the miner’s hall … it’s a book I kept sneaking back to whenever I had a spare quarter hour, eager to advance the story.’
Fire (HarperCollins, 2007), Challinor's seventh novel, is set in Auckland during the hype leading up to the royal visit of 1953, but is based on the Ballantyne’s department store fire of 1947 in Christchurch. A powerful and dramatic story of passion, ambition and greed, it became a number one bestseller.
Amber, the sequel to Kitty, was published later in 2007 and also became a bestseller. Amber opens in New Zealand in 1945, on the eve of the Northern War in the Bay of Islands, in which Kitty is caught up. Sent to Auckland away from the fighting, Kitty encounters an orphaned part-Maori girl she names Amber. Together they return to the Bay of Islands, where both Kitty must risk her own life to save Amber’s.
Isle of Tears (HarperCollins NZ Ltd, 2009) is a story about 14-year-old Scottish immigrant Isla McKinnon and her younger brothers and sister. When they are orphaned they are adopted by Taranaki Maori and become caught up in the wars in Taranaki, the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
A revised edition of Challinor’s Grey Ghosts (HarperCollins NZ) was published in 2009. This edition included a new chapter on how the New Zealand Vietnam veteran community has fared since the book was first published in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
April 14, 2015
As the individual lives of four young London women slowly came together, they finally met in the notorious Newgate jail where they all awaited the results of various criminal offences. Because even petty offences were criminal acts in 1820s London – the verdicts of transportation for all four of them was devastating but not unexpected. Friday Woolfe was a streetwise prostitute and knew her way around; she befriended and cared for young Sarah Morgan, Rachel Winter and Harriet Clarke. Before long the four young women were as close as sisters; they looked out for each other always.
When the convict ship, the Isla left, bound for New South Wales, the horrors of seasickness meant only eleven of the over one hundred and twenty women and children on board didn’t succumb. Out of the four friends, only Harrie remained healthy – she found herself helping in the ship’s hospital under the watchful eye of Dr James Downey, also second in charge of the Isla. As the days slowly made their way into weeks, the prisoners settled into an uneasy routine. But with only women on board, there were some among the crew and paying passengers who were not at all honourable. When tragedy struck as the ship was only a few weeks from the coast of New South Wales, Rachel was one whose life changed forever.
Transferred to the Parramatta Female Factory on arrival, they found a place which was overcrowded and not dissimilar to Newgate Prison. But as the four friends waited to be assigned, their uncertainty and sense of looming loss was paramount. How could they remain together? Was there a way – but they were convict girls with no say in what would happen to them…
I absolutely loved Behind the Sun by Aussie author Deborah Challinor. My first by this author, and the first in the "Convict Girls" series, I can’t wait to read the next. Beautifully written, the characters are incredibly real – the bond between the four girls was deep and everlasting. Behind the Sun is an amazing tale of historical fiction which I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
When the convict ship, the Isla left, bound for New South Wales, the horrors of seasickness meant only eleven of the over one hundred and twenty women and children on board didn’t succumb. Out of the four friends, only Harrie remained healthy – she found herself helping in the ship’s hospital under the watchful eye of Dr James Downey, also second in charge of the Isla. As the days slowly made their way into weeks, the prisoners settled into an uneasy routine. But with only women on board, there were some among the crew and paying passengers who were not at all honourable. When tragedy struck as the ship was only a few weeks from the coast of New South Wales, Rachel was one whose life changed forever.
Transferred to the Parramatta Female Factory on arrival, they found a place which was overcrowded and not dissimilar to Newgate Prison. But as the four friends waited to be assigned, their uncertainty and sense of looming loss was paramount. How could they remain together? Was there a way – but they were convict girls with no say in what would happen to them…
I absolutely loved Behind the Sun by Aussie author Deborah Challinor. My first by this author, and the first in the "Convict Girls" series, I can’t wait to read the next. Beautifully written, the characters are incredibly real – the bond between the four girls was deep and everlasting. Behind the Sun is an amazing tale of historical fiction which I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
June 28, 2016
5★
What a happy, well-written discovery this was. I loved it!
Deborah Challinor has created four real women, very different from each other, who become as bound together as family while imprisoned in Newgate and then transported to Sydney.
Not once did I notice a word or description that seemed out of time or place, as so often happens with poor historical fiction. It all rang true, and there’s even a fairly extensive discussion of the real history of the times following the end of the story.
It’s tender, dark, uplifting, infuriating, mysterious, and ultimately, satisfying. Conditions in Newgate Prison are described to the point that you gag at the stench in the cramped quarters and the putrid water closets, made worse by the diet of fart-inducing gruel.
It opens:
“November 1828, London
Friday Woolfe blew warm air onto freezing hands in fingerless gloves. Fog hung heavy over the street, deadening shouts and laughter from the nearby taverns and making a small yellow moon of the solitary gas light on the corner. It felt like it might soon snow.
‘Feels like that cold’s creeping straight up my fanny, Bets, ‘ she grumbled to her friend.
Betsy Horrocks, her hands jammed into her armpits, stepped back and inclined her head. ‘It is. Your skirts are all caught up at the back.’
They giggled madly as Friday reached around and rearranged her clothing: that’s teach her to squat in alleyways. She adjusted the angle of her straw hat with its silk rose, though she’d left her hair unbound as its bright copper colour never failed to attract the cullies.”
The reality of leaving families and everything they’ve ever known hits suddenly as they wait on board the ship, waiting to sail. They sleep crammed together in small bunks, and survive the doldrums and some horrific weather before finally arriving at Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta Female Factory (and prison).
The story moves along at a good pace with alternating points of view, telling all of their stories. They are very distinct girls, so it is always pretty easy to know who’s speaking. There’s the red-haired 18yo whore; the raven-haired, scarred and slightly scary pick-pocket and jewel expert; a gentler, seamstress lass with nut-brown hair; and a very fair, almost white-haired, ethereal child-woman. Circumstances alone have created these unlikely, unbreakable friendships.
There are some evil characters and rough and ready folk waiting to take advantage of everyone, especially young women. They were rough times, and the author makes sure we experience the bitterness of the English winter and the breathless heat of a Sydney summer.
This book leaves the friends and their enemies in their various situations in Sydney, but with the promise of more to come. I'm looking forward to the next two in the series.
What a happy, well-written discovery this was. I loved it!
Deborah Challinor has created four real women, very different from each other, who become as bound together as family while imprisoned in Newgate and then transported to Sydney.
Not once did I notice a word or description that seemed out of time or place, as so often happens with poor historical fiction. It all rang true, and there’s even a fairly extensive discussion of the real history of the times following the end of the story.
It’s tender, dark, uplifting, infuriating, mysterious, and ultimately, satisfying. Conditions in Newgate Prison are described to the point that you gag at the stench in the cramped quarters and the putrid water closets, made worse by the diet of fart-inducing gruel.
It opens:
“November 1828, London
Friday Woolfe blew warm air onto freezing hands in fingerless gloves. Fog hung heavy over the street, deadening shouts and laughter from the nearby taverns and making a small yellow moon of the solitary gas light on the corner. It felt like it might soon snow.
‘Feels like that cold’s creeping straight up my fanny, Bets, ‘ she grumbled to her friend.
Betsy Horrocks, her hands jammed into her armpits, stepped back and inclined her head. ‘It is. Your skirts are all caught up at the back.’
They giggled madly as Friday reached around and rearranged her clothing: that’s teach her to squat in alleyways. She adjusted the angle of her straw hat with its silk rose, though she’d left her hair unbound as its bright copper colour never failed to attract the cullies.”
The reality of leaving families and everything they’ve ever known hits suddenly as they wait on board the ship, waiting to sail. They sleep crammed together in small bunks, and survive the doldrums and some horrific weather before finally arriving at Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta Female Factory (and prison).
The story moves along at a good pace with alternating points of view, telling all of their stories. They are very distinct girls, so it is always pretty easy to know who’s speaking. There’s the red-haired 18yo whore; the raven-haired, scarred and slightly scary pick-pocket and jewel expert; a gentler, seamstress lass with nut-brown hair; and a very fair, almost white-haired, ethereal child-woman. Circumstances alone have created these unlikely, unbreakable friendships.
There are some evil characters and rough and ready folk waiting to take advantage of everyone, especially young women. They were rough times, and the author makes sure we experience the bitterness of the English winter and the breathless heat of a Sydney summer.
This book leaves the friends and their enemies in their various situations in Sydney, but with the promise of more to come. I'm looking forward to the next two in the series.
January 1, 2015
Loved it, great read.
This book was absolutely jam packed with story and plot...in fact several stories which all flowed seamlessly together and combined to make the overall story even more credible.
Great characters with individually complex personalities kept the story flowing from one to the other without losing pace or interest.
It gives some terrific insight into what it must have been like for female convicts before, during and after their transportation on a convict ship from the UK to the Colonies...incredible women.
Every single page held interest and intrigue, making it a real page turner.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am really looking forward to the follow up book called "Girl of Shadows" which continues the story, and which I understand is due out soon...hopefully a Christmas present.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to lovers of Historical Fiction or Fiction in general. 4.5*s.
March 27, 2016
3.5★ I enjoyed this. I listened to it as an audiobook and thought the narrator did a good job of the different voices. I liked the characters - Friday, Sarah, Harry (Harriet) and Rachael - and I liked that it was partly set on the tall ship on which the women sailed to the penal colony of New South Wales. I felt sorry for their situation at times and will look forward to reading the next one. I think the second one will follow on very closely from this one, and it will be important to remember what happened in this one. For this reason, I am including multiple major spoilers in the tag below, so that I can check back to remind myself of what happened whenever I get around to reading the next one! So for anyone who hasn’t read this book - DO NOT read the spoiler below!!
January 31, 2018
Deborah Challinor and I shared a stage at the Historical Novel Society (Australasian) conference in Melbourne a few years ago, and so I was keen to read some of her work. She’s a New Zealand author and historian who has written over a dozen books, quite a few of them set in Australia. Behind the Sun is the first in a quartet following the adventures of four young women in the 1820s who are all convicted of various crimes and transported halfway around the world to the convict settlement of Sydney.
There is Friday Woolfe, a cheeky and irreverent prostitute, Sarah Morgan, a cool and intelligent thief, Rachel Winter, young and beautiful and far too naïve, and Harriet Clarke, a seamstress who stole some cloth in the hopes of saving her family from starvation.
Moving from the filth of Newgate Prison, to the hardships of the notorious convict ships, and arriving at last in Sydney, the four women find their friendship and courage tested to the limits.
Written with verve and zest, Behind the Sun has bright moments of humour and warmth and some very dark moments of cruelty and loss. The story races along at a cracking pace, but not once is historical veracity or vibrancy sacrificed for narrative momentum. A really great holiday read with some truly unforgettable characters.
There is Friday Woolfe, a cheeky and irreverent prostitute, Sarah Morgan, a cool and intelligent thief, Rachel Winter, young and beautiful and far too naïve, and Harriet Clarke, a seamstress who stole some cloth in the hopes of saving her family from starvation.
Moving from the filth of Newgate Prison, to the hardships of the notorious convict ships, and arriving at last in Sydney, the four women find their friendship and courage tested to the limits.
Written with verve and zest, Behind the Sun has bright moments of humour and warmth and some very dark moments of cruelty and loss. The story races along at a cracking pace, but not once is historical veracity or vibrancy sacrificed for narrative momentum. A really great holiday read with some truly unforgettable characters.
July 24, 2016
Behind the Sun is a heart wrenching story about 4 women who are convicted of petty crimes and sentenced to be transported to Colonial NSW, Australia. All 4 women form fast friendships and soon come to rely on each other as family.
The arduous 4 month long sea voyage from London to Australia is fraught with peril and unspeakable acts of violence, depravity and hardship but also colossal acts of kindness, friendship and love.
This beautiful and heart wrenching tale shines a light on what life was like for the less fortunate and the depths to which the human spirit can survive, strive and thrive. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
The arduous 4 month long sea voyage from London to Australia is fraught with peril and unspeakable acts of violence, depravity and hardship but also colossal acts of kindness, friendship and love.
This beautiful and heart wrenching tale shines a light on what life was like for the less fortunate and the depths to which the human spirit can survive, strive and thrive. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
March 22, 2016
5 stars, simply for the fact that I could not put this down. While I found some of it rather difficult to read, it was with the understanding that the early part of the 1800s in England and Sydney was a difficult time, without many of the benefits that we have now. The story built up nicely, to something that approximated a climax, which left me a little shocked. There was not much of a resolution, and then the author was a little mean leaving the book to finish on a cliffhanger. I quite enjoyed the descriptions of early Sydney, and I think I will have to read the next in the series.
March 17, 2025
Inspired by the lives of Deborah Challinor's ancestors, Behind the Sun is the first installment of a historical fiction series featuring four convict women transported from England to New South Wales in the late 1820's.
Incarcerated in Newgate goal, Friday Woolfe, a streetwise prostitute, befriends Harriet Clarke, a timid seamstress, the prickly thief Sarah Morgan and the young and desperately naive Rachel Winter. The unlikely foursome form a bond that supports them through the trials of imprisonment, the long journey to Australia and the unknown fate that awaits them in Sydneytown.
I have always been fascinated with this period of Australian history and particularly enjoyed Behind the Sun for it's historical detail. Challinor holds a PhD in history and the novel reflects her knowledge, though she admits to tweaking a fact or two to better tell the story.
The novel begins in England where we are introduced to the women and their crimes. All stand accused of theft of some type and are incarcerated in London's notorious Newgate Goal awaiting sentence. It is Friday and Harriet who first find each other, shortly joined by Sarah and Rachel. Their disparate personalities create an interesting dynamic whose strengths and weaknesses all contribute to their survival. Friday is afraid of nothing, Harriet is calm and practical, Sarah is clever and calculating and surprisingly Rachel, who claims to be 15 but is only 13, turns out to be quite the card shark, growing the funds the women need to buy meagre comforts within prison.
Much of the novel focuses on the journey to Australia where one hundred and fifty women were crowded onto a ship for the 7 month sail. Life aboard the ship is difficult though the women find their own ways to endure, Harriet becomes an assistant to the ship's doctor, Friday continues to ply her trade with the ship's crew. Rachel however falls victim to Bella Jackson, a notorious and ruthless madam, whose manipulations results in tragedy for Rachel, leaving her friends swearing to take their revenge.
Arriving in Sydney the women are taken to the Parramatta Female Factory before being re-assigned. Despite being separated the women continue to support each other, especially when tragedy strikes again.
With strong characterisation, Behind the Sun is a fascinating exploration of women's history in Australia and an enjoyable read. I Challinor plans to follow up Behind the Sun with 'Girl of Shadows' (expected in 2013) and I am looking forward to reading more about the women's adventures in SydneyTown.
Incarcerated in Newgate goal, Friday Woolfe, a streetwise prostitute, befriends Harriet Clarke, a timid seamstress, the prickly thief Sarah Morgan and the young and desperately naive Rachel Winter. The unlikely foursome form a bond that supports them through the trials of imprisonment, the long journey to Australia and the unknown fate that awaits them in Sydneytown.
I have always been fascinated with this period of Australian history and particularly enjoyed Behind the Sun for it's historical detail. Challinor holds a PhD in history and the novel reflects her knowledge, though she admits to tweaking a fact or two to better tell the story.
The novel begins in England where we are introduced to the women and their crimes. All stand accused of theft of some type and are incarcerated in London's notorious Newgate Goal awaiting sentence. It is Friday and Harriet who first find each other, shortly joined by Sarah and Rachel. Their disparate personalities create an interesting dynamic whose strengths and weaknesses all contribute to their survival. Friday is afraid of nothing, Harriet is calm and practical, Sarah is clever and calculating and surprisingly Rachel, who claims to be 15 but is only 13, turns out to be quite the card shark, growing the funds the women need to buy meagre comforts within prison.
Much of the novel focuses on the journey to Australia where one hundred and fifty women were crowded onto a ship for the 7 month sail. Life aboard the ship is difficult though the women find their own ways to endure, Harriet becomes an assistant to the ship's doctor, Friday continues to ply her trade with the ship's crew. Rachel however falls victim to Bella Jackson, a notorious and ruthless madam, whose manipulations results in tragedy for Rachel, leaving her friends swearing to take their revenge.
Arriving in Sydney the women are taken to the Parramatta Female Factory before being re-assigned. Despite being separated the women continue to support each other, especially when tragedy strikes again.
With strong characterisation, Behind the Sun is a fascinating exploration of women's history in Australia and an enjoyable read. I Challinor plans to follow up Behind the Sun with 'Girl of Shadows' (expected in 2013) and I am looking forward to reading more about the women's adventures in SydneyTown.
May 19, 2018
4.5 stars
I've long been drawn to Australian historical novels and never tire of reading them. Author Deborah Challinor is a "new find" for me. This is the first book of hers I read and I couldn't put it down. The writing was excellent, she knew exactly when to move from one character to another without missing a beat. The characters were all very different and interesting as was everything else. I eagerly look forward to reading #2 in the Convict Girls series.
I've long been drawn to Australian historical novels and never tire of reading them. Author Deborah Challinor is a "new find" for me. This is the first book of hers I read and I couldn't put it down. The writing was excellent, she knew exactly when to move from one character to another without missing a beat. The characters were all very different and interesting as was everything else. I eagerly look forward to reading #2 in the Convict Girls series.
May 29, 2022
The story of four women who meet in Newgate prison in 1828, and are transported together to Sydney to serve as convicts. A great yarn which has you following the stories of the feisty prostitute Friday, the clever and quiet jeweller-come-thief Sarah, the sweet and diligent Harrie and young, indulgent Rachel.
February 19, 2020
3.5 stars
August 26, 2019
Apart from crime fiction, my other favourite is historical fiction and I discovered this fabulous quartet of stories written by Deborah Challinor. The Convict Girls four-book series follows four bonded female convicts who are shipped from London's infamous Newgate Prison to the penal colony of Sydney Town, New South Wales, to work off their sentences.
Set in 1832, the travails of Friday Woolfe, Rachel Winter, Sarah Morgan and Harriet Clarke jump off the page as each book tells the story from each woman’s perspective. The penalties for petty crime, like the strange new land, are unforgiving. In a dread-laden atmosphere of shocking sights and smells, the arrival of the four convicts at the women’s gaol Parramatta Female Factory is as grim as their backstory. Although hiding a terrible secret between them, these young women are resilient and struggle against the harsh conditions in the new colony of Australia.
Titles are Behind The Sun, Girl Of Shadows, The Silk Thief, A Tattooed Heart. As the homebody, the thief, the seamstress and the prostitute work through their bond in different forms of servitude, the reader follows their friendship, mental strain, love, loss and their all-important futures. Author Deborah Challinor says of the final book "Obviously, behind this book is the secret that has held the whole story together. It’s taken me over half a million words to tell it, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them."
This love of her characters shines through as Challinor skilfully expands and elaborates on their new lives while keeping the voice true. She gets the more risqué messages across without unnecessary crudeness. Her well researched, well written plots and strong supporting characters, like cruel Bella Jackson and handsome Dr James Downey, blend together to spin a gripping yarn.
The outstanding imagery, ripe for screen adaptation, kept me reading long after I should have turned off the light. I can recommend this series with 5-stars and suggest reading the books in sequence so they unfold in all their splendour.
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Set in 1832, the travails of Friday Woolfe, Rachel Winter, Sarah Morgan and Harriet Clarke jump off the page as each book tells the story from each woman’s perspective. The penalties for petty crime, like the strange new land, are unforgiving. In a dread-laden atmosphere of shocking sights and smells, the arrival of the four convicts at the women’s gaol Parramatta Female Factory is as grim as their backstory. Although hiding a terrible secret between them, these young women are resilient and struggle against the harsh conditions in the new colony of Australia.
Titles are Behind The Sun, Girl Of Shadows, The Silk Thief, A Tattooed Heart. As the homebody, the thief, the seamstress and the prostitute work through their bond in different forms of servitude, the reader follows their friendship, mental strain, love, loss and their all-important futures. Author Deborah Challinor says of the final book "Obviously, behind this book is the secret that has held the whole story together. It’s taken me over half a million words to tell it, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them."
This love of her characters shines through as Challinor skilfully expands and elaborates on their new lives while keeping the voice true. She gets the more risqué messages across without unnecessary crudeness. Her well researched, well written plots and strong supporting characters, like cruel Bella Jackson and handsome Dr James Downey, blend together to spin a gripping yarn.
The outstanding imagery, ripe for screen adaptation, kept me reading long after I should have turned off the light. I can recommend this series with 5-stars and suggest reading the books in sequence so they unfold in all their splendour.
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
February 13, 2013
Written for WAM:
http://www.writeaboutme.com.au/2013/0...
Another book with another beautiful cover, however this one did not intrigue me in the slightest… To me it looked a little bit too much like a romance, a bodice ripper… Oh I could not have been more wrong!
It’s historical fiction and if only we were taught history like this!
Deborah Challinor has the qualifications, with a PhD in History, and more importantly she has the soul of a storyteller.
Behind the Sun draws on threads of history and weaves them into a tale of four girls: Friday, Sarah, Harrie and Rachel. Though sometimes it’s hard to remember that they are just girls, all under twenty, from different backgrounds, and by one means or another they find themselves bound for the Colony. They strike up a friendship before they leave Newgate Prison and you can almost feel the misery seeping through the lines. The desperation, frustration and acceptance of what they did, why they did it and the consequences…
I want to tell you more – but I don’t want to give it away. It is a tale of enduring friendship, just like the dust jacket promises, and it does bring to light the predicament of women convicts: How they fared through the months in prison, the boat journey to Australia and then the conditions they lived in and with. You could get bogged down in those details – or feel like you’re being lectured, however it doesn't read that way (apart from a few medical ailments recorded on the ship). Instead you have the gift of this friendship and four distinct personalities that rise above it, and because of it, survive.
And the story doesn't end there. It’s a trilogy and I can’t wait to read what happens next!
http://www.writeaboutme.com.au/2013/0...
Another book with another beautiful cover, however this one did not intrigue me in the slightest… To me it looked a little bit too much like a romance, a bodice ripper… Oh I could not have been more wrong!
It’s historical fiction and if only we were taught history like this!
Deborah Challinor has the qualifications, with a PhD in History, and more importantly she has the soul of a storyteller.
Behind the Sun draws on threads of history and weaves them into a tale of four girls: Friday, Sarah, Harrie and Rachel. Though sometimes it’s hard to remember that they are just girls, all under twenty, from different backgrounds, and by one means or another they find themselves bound for the Colony. They strike up a friendship before they leave Newgate Prison and you can almost feel the misery seeping through the lines. The desperation, frustration and acceptance of what they did, why they did it and the consequences…
I want to tell you more – but I don’t want to give it away. It is a tale of enduring friendship, just like the dust jacket promises, and it does bring to light the predicament of women convicts: How they fared through the months in prison, the boat journey to Australia and then the conditions they lived in and with. You could get bogged down in those details – or feel like you’re being lectured, however it doesn't read that way (apart from a few medical ailments recorded on the ship). Instead you have the gift of this friendship and four distinct personalities that rise above it, and because of it, survive.
And the story doesn't end there. It’s a trilogy and I can’t wait to read what happens next!
July 3, 2013
‘Behind the Sun’ was my first Deborah Challinor venture – and wow, I am very impressed. I really, really enjoyed this beautifully written book. Beginning in 1820's London and finishing in 1830's old Sydney Town I loved following the lives of the four main female characters who were transported for various crimes to Australia. I always love a good convict read and this period of Australia’s history and this is one of the best I have read. Challinor has a talent for vividly drawing the reader into the story and location of story for eg for the four months they were at sea I felt the challenges that were faced and the growing bond between the girls like I was there with them! This is historical fiction at its best….be aware at the end though – and I didn’t know this until I was on the last page – there is Book 2 coming out this year sometime!!! Now I just need to find out when and start counting down!!!!!
February 6, 2016
It was good. A couple of the characters, you really came to just love and were glad for the character development that occurred. But I did have a hard time with the crassness of the book. And I do understand that was to come with the subjects and characters of the book. Just, ya know... Sometimes I felt like the s word did not really fit there. Also, the second half of the book was way more enjoyable and attention grabbing than the first part.
October 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this story and of course I am great fan of HF although, being Australian, I often get a bit disappointed about how convict transportation to this country sometimes is portrayed unrealistically. I felt this story was well conceived and researched where female transportation was concerned. I liked the writing enough to give the 2nd book in the series a go. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.
April 8, 2017
I enjoy Challinor's writing style. She turns every day events into the history of the time (or the other way around) and her characters have depth and feel real. She even manages an 'information dump' in a convincing way by turning it into dialogue or as part of a diary. There is obviously a sequel as this book leaves the story very much up in the air. A great read.
December 14, 2015
I was hooked from the first page and devoured this so quickly. I can't wait to continue reading this series and hope it remains as compelling. While it must have been hideous to be a convict being deported in the 1980's, Challinor almost makes the reader envy the women with her story of friendship and support.
March 23, 2014
Last third was great. I won't bother with the next one in the series.
September 27, 2020
5 stars
I’m a huge lover of historical fiction, but usually keep the history side of things contained to the two world wars. However, when @happyvalley_booksread recommended the convict girls series to me, which is set in the 1830s; I was intrigued. Once again, this was a fantastic recommendation by them and I absolutely devoured the first of the four books in Deborah Challinor’s convict girl series; Behind then Sun.
Friday Woolfe, Sarah Morgan, Rachel Winter and Harriet Clarke find themselves in London’s notorious Newgate Gaol. They may have little in common; but their desire to survive transportation to the colony of New South Wales sees an unlikely friendship form. As they sail across the world and settle into a land that is completely different to anything they’ve ever known; the four women struggle to adapt with enemies lurking at every corner. Will their friendship be strong enough to see them all survive or will life in the colonies be too much to bear?
What a read! I adored this book and now have the other three on order. The writing was so rich and detailed and it’s clear that Challinor has put her PhD in history to good work with the research involved. Her attention to detail is phenomenal, yet you don’t feel like you’re reading a history textbook. The ability to write like this, takes the book to the next level and makes for a riveting plot that draws you in quickly and never lets you go.
Whilst I’m on the writing, Behind the Sun ticks my requirement being able to visualise the plot and characters. This is very important to me and this book has it in spades.
I loved the characters. There are a lot of them, but they are all necessary and add to the richness of layers that is Behind the Sun. I liked they way they were written so we got to learn enough about them for this book to be a good read, yet not so much that you’ll want to read the next three books to find out more.
If you like historical fiction; then you’re going to absolutely love Behind the Sun. However; even if you’re not a huge historical fiction fan, I think you’re still going to enjoy Behind the Sun. I cannot recommend it enough.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
I’m a huge lover of historical fiction, but usually keep the history side of things contained to the two world wars. However, when @happyvalley_booksread recommended the convict girls series to me, which is set in the 1830s; I was intrigued. Once again, this was a fantastic recommendation by them and I absolutely devoured the first of the four books in Deborah Challinor’s convict girl series; Behind then Sun.
Friday Woolfe, Sarah Morgan, Rachel Winter and Harriet Clarke find themselves in London’s notorious Newgate Gaol. They may have little in common; but their desire to survive transportation to the colony of New South Wales sees an unlikely friendship form. As they sail across the world and settle into a land that is completely different to anything they’ve ever known; the four women struggle to adapt with enemies lurking at every corner. Will their friendship be strong enough to see them all survive or will life in the colonies be too much to bear?
What a read! I adored this book and now have the other three on order. The writing was so rich and detailed and it’s clear that Challinor has put her PhD in history to good work with the research involved. Her attention to detail is phenomenal, yet you don’t feel like you’re reading a history textbook. The ability to write like this, takes the book to the next level and makes for a riveting plot that draws you in quickly and never lets you go.
Whilst I’m on the writing, Behind the Sun ticks my requirement being able to visualise the plot and characters. This is very important to me and this book has it in spades.
I loved the characters. There are a lot of them, but they are all necessary and add to the richness of layers that is Behind the Sun. I liked they way they were written so we got to learn enough about them for this book to be a good read, yet not so much that you’ll want to read the next three books to find out more.
If you like historical fiction; then you’re going to absolutely love Behind the Sun. However; even if you’re not a huge historical fiction fan, I think you’re still going to enjoy Behind the Sun. I cannot recommend it enough.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
April 14, 2020
Quarantine 2020... I can't concentrate on anything... I needed to find a simple book with an easy to follow story line... something to take me away from the stress of the world we are currently surrounded by...
I finally found it in an easy to read, Australian historical fiction. The story follows 4 likeable convict characters on their journey from England to Sydney and I found myself googling Sydney in the 1830's to see what was actually based on fiction.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
I finally found it in an easy to read, Australian historical fiction. The story follows 4 likeable convict characters on their journey from England to Sydney and I found myself googling Sydney in the 1830's to see what was actually based on fiction.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
April 24, 2019
I give this book a 3.5 star rating. I found it didn't hook me in very well until the end of the book, I was hanging by a tether but now I have finished the book I find my mind wandering back to Friday, Sarah & Harrie wanting to read the sequel and find out if they wipe the smile off Bellas face. I enjoyed the obvious differences of character in all the girls and also the insight into convict life. I would recommend it as a good read :)
February 10, 2021
The story moves seamlessly from the streets of London through Newgate Gaol to transport aboard the Isla and finally interment in the Female Factory in Parramatta. Friday, Harrie, Sarah and Rachel become friends and family, look out for each other and take revenge on those who hurt any one of them.
The writing drags you in, characters are developed thoroughly and the history has been well researched. Can’t wait to read the next one.
The writing drags you in, characters are developed thoroughly and the history has been well researched. Can’t wait to read the next one.
February 2, 2020
Bought this book in NZealand to read a kiwi author and setting. But the book was about convicts travelling by ship in the 1800’s to Australia. It is okay and an easy read with some suspense and tension and drama. Still looking for a comtemporary or historical fiction set in N. Zealand bu NZ author, not NgaioMarsh. Recommendations accepted.
August 24, 2021
Not exactly what I would call an action-packed novel, but it's really well written and full of interesting, complex and very real characters. I listened to the audible version and the narrator was absolutely superb. Not sure I'll listen to the rest in the series, unless the pace picks up somewhat. Still, a very enjoyable listen.
April 1, 2019
It is a very good read, with well-researched historical details and likable protagonists. I am not sure all their behaviors and motivations are completely believable and some cuts in the narrative could improve the pacing, but on the whole I really enjoyed it.
June 1, 2019
Good read and I'm sure is historically fairly correct. Set around 1829-30, the lives of 4 convict girls in England and their trip on a convict ship to Australia. The first of Deborah Chalinors books I've read, very enjoyable.
April 21, 2020
Enjoyed reading this - looking forward to the next ones in series. A great story following 4 women convicted of petty offences in early 1820s England and their journey to Australia on a convict ship. Deborah Challinor is a great storyteller and the historical detail was researched well
June 21, 2020
Loved it! The historical period is great and the characters are believable and totally lovable. I enjoy books where I know the places they are set in and can remember or visit the towns, streets and sometimes even the houses I am reading about. Can't wait for the next instalment
June 13, 2021
I felt as if I was reading a YA book. The characters were sooooo cliche but I did finish it and now will probably read the sequel just to find out. Interesting look into Sydney in the early days and convict lifestyles.
It got better as it went along and was clearly well researched.
It got better as it went along and was clearly well researched.
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