The Other Catherine

by Lauren Keenan

Two worlds, two women, one story . . .

In 1793, eighteen-year-old Catherine is sentenced to transportation on the Tempest, a convict ship bound for New South Wales. Trapped below deck with scores of women, she endures storms, brutality and loss, while dreaming of freedom on the shores of a country far from home.

A century later in Aotearoa, Māori matriarch Keita stands amid the ruins of her whānau and the encroaching world of settlers, whalers and empire. Disturbed by the long reach of colonial change, Keita begins to unravel her own story.

Spanning seas and generations, The Other Catherine is a luminous tale of survival, whakapapa and female friendship, for readers of Jenny Pattrick and Tina Makereti.

Genres: Historical

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 21, 2026

Reviews

[Kirsten McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another perfect five-star read from Lauren Keenan.
I was completely lost in both Catherine's story, and Keita's. And the side stories of Rosannah, and Brigid, and Mairie. I was especially taken with the Author's Note at the end!!! I could have read a whole book on that alone. I would love, love, love, to read follow on books about the lives of both these women after the end of this book. Please?!
The descriptions of the conditions of the convict's transport were heart-rending. How could people be that cruel?
Māori author Michael Bennett talks about how he hopes his Hana Westerman books inform and educate readers about the impact of colonisation, by stealth. And this is exactly how I feel about Keenan's books. I feel that they open your eyes through the words and thoughts of women of the time, with beautiful prose, and connecting the reader to the traditions and beliefs of the local iwi. Surely through learning about those traditions and beliefs, we all benefit? And how appropriate that we read books like this now, so that history doesn't repeat.

[Klee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Other Catherine by Lauren Keenan absolutely stole my heart.

This novel is primarily set between Ireland, where we meet Catherine aboard the convict ship Tempest bound for New South Wales, and Taranaki, New Zealand, where our other Catherine (Keita - a Māori matriarch) begins to unravel her story. This is such a beautifully character-driven piece of historical fiction. It’s a story about friendship, survival, whakapapa, and the invisible threads that connect people across oceans and generations.

I love books that deliver those little gasp moments where the interconnectedness of characters suddenly clicks into place - and this one does it so well. Quietly powerful, emotional, and deeply human.

I adored The Space Between, so I was incredibly excited to pick this one up, and it absolutely delivered - I realised at the end, the character connection between books and it made me appreciate it even more.

Also such a cool personal moment spotting a shout out to Hona Black - my cousin - and his book He Iti Te Kupu (which is also fantastic). That little whakapapa connection made this feel even more special.

If you love historical fiction that centres wāhine, identity, resilience, and connection, definitely put this one on your radar.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical novel is inspired by the author's tūpuna. It's a beautifully researched, imagined and told story based on the long running feud between Waikato and Taranaki iwi, and the history of Irish convicts being sent to Australia.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical novel. Some set in convict ship, some in Taranaki.

[Venice White · Rating 5 out of 5]

every time i opened this book, it completely absorbed me. told between the alternating povs of Keita and Catherine across different time periods, i knew that somehow the women would be connected but the reveal was done so cleverly i felt both astonished and delighted when it hit me. the detail of the settings was so rich and the characterisation so strong that i felt so attached to them all by the end and cried twice (no spoilers but i couldn't bear the loss in this damn book!!!). i love historical fiction especially when there is so much information about the past (written in a very accessible way) and reading about Aotearoa at a time where Mãori and European settlers were newly co-existing and arranging marriages for mutual advantage but when it came to defending territory against invaders, the difference in battle tactics and strategy was physically painful to read about because it was easy to see how much trouble this caused both then and all the way to present day. Also reading about the appalling treatment of women aboard the convict ship from Ireland was eye-opening to say the least and I don't think I will ever understand how humans have ever been capable of treating each other so badly especially within societies that are built on oppressing those with no advantages and then punishing them for attempting to seek a better life, or even to just find their next meal. And as someone who is so close with their family, the idea of being cast away from everyone and everything I know whether that be for petty crime or a marriage that was chosen for me is enough to make me stare at the wall for a while once I put the book down.