The Beckoning Shore

Great South Land Saga #3

by E.V. Timms

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Our heroine, Elizabeth Holley, a Pastors daughter, leaves a quiet village life in England, and embarks on a perilous voyage across the sea to Sydney Town via Fremantle, Australia.

The dangers and horrors of life in the penal colony of New South Wales are depicted vividly, the convict iron gangs, the blood soaked “Cat” used for whippings and floggings, prostitution, gangs of orphaned children roaming the streets, and even pirate ships moored in the harbour.
But there is also the class distinction of the new settlers, landed gentry and legal elite, and those in the population who begin to question the cruelty and injustice of the convict system.

The story of how Elizabeth is nearly drawn into the seedy underbelly of Sydney life, and the crossfire between two warring brothers, is compelling. The Beckoning Shore provides her, and many migrants, with opportunities for a new life and possibly love. But for others, like the convicts, the darkness of punishment and death. A great story, set during the development of early Australia.

[Tam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two, but I still find myself drawn to the characters. We get our first glimpses into Sydney in this third book in the series, and a small glimpse into the atrocities of “transportation” and chain gangs… there’s less attempt to empathize with the convicts than in the second book, and it feels much less personal than the first two. More dehumanization of the indigenous people of Australia, though no n-word, and fewer mention of them, but when they are mentioned it is usually in the context of fear - or conversion (ie missionaries). However, it is still well-written and an interesting look at how people from the mid/late 20th century viewed colonization of Australia.