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Chindera
Queensland 1860. An empire built on sugar. Far from his native Scotland, Andrew Johnstone had built his fortune on the back of dirt-cheap Kanaka labourers.
His elder son, James, was haunted by the murder and rape of his young wife.
Daughter Helga felt herself marooned on the plantation as she dreamed of fame and fortune in the opera houses of Europe.
While across the blue Pacific dipped the blackbirding schooners with their human cargo, skippered by captains who'd sail to Hell and back for the sake of a profit.
His elder son, James, was haunted by the murder and rape of his young wife.
Daughter Helga felt herself marooned on the plantation as she dreamed of fame and fortune in the opera houses of Europe.
While across the blue Pacific dipped the blackbirding schooners with their human cargo, skippered by captains who'd sail to Hell and back for the sake of a profit.
286 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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63 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Cato
50 books18 followersNancy Fotheringham Cato AM (11 March 1917 – 3 July 2000) was an Australian writer who published more than twenty historical novels, biographies and volumes of poetry. Cato is also known for her work campaigning on environmental and conservation issues.
Cato was born in Glen Osmond in South Australia, and was a fifth-generation Australian. She studied English Literature and Italian at the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1939, then completed a two-year course at the South Australian School of Arts. She was a cadet journalist on The News from 1935 to 1941, and as an art critic from 1957 to 1958.[2]
Cato married Eldred De Bracton Norman, and travelled extensively overseas with him. They had one daughter and two sons.[1] Dr Nancy Cato Norman died at Noosa Heads on 3 July 2000.
Cato's cousin was also named Nancy Cato and was host of children's TV show the Magic Circle Club in the mid 1960s.
Cato was born in Glen Osmond in South Australia, and was a fifth-generation Australian. She studied English Literature and Italian at the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1939, then completed a two-year course at the South Australian School of Arts. She was a cadet journalist on The News from 1935 to 1941, and as an art critic from 1957 to 1958.[2]
Cato married Eldred De Bracton Norman, and travelled extensively overseas with him. They had one daughter and two sons.[1] Dr Nancy Cato Norman died at Noosa Heads on 3 July 2000.
Cato's cousin was also named Nancy Cato and was host of children's TV show the Magic Circle Club in the mid 1960s.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 29, 2018
An interesting story well told
December 3, 2016
A fictionalised account of two real families living through a particularly shameful period of Queensland history - the kanaka trade.
A pacific islander is blackbirded and sold as a labourer into the sugar industry. His story intertwines with the story of Andrew Johnstone, the sugar plantation owner (and who the Johnstone River is named after). Together it gives you an overview of the issues facing this section of Queensland at this point in time.
Because I have family living in this region I found the book interesting. If you don't know anything about the sugar industry you may get lost in the constant references to sugar grades.
It is a short read and an interesting one.
A pacific islander is blackbirded and sold as a labourer into the sugar industry. His story intertwines with the story of Andrew Johnstone, the sugar plantation owner (and who the Johnstone River is named after). Together it gives you an overview of the issues facing this section of Queensland at this point in time.
Because I have family living in this region I found the book interesting. If you don't know anything about the sugar industry you may get lost in the constant references to sugar grades.
It is a short read and an interesting one.
September 19, 2008
This book has also been published under the title of 'Brown Sugar'. Read a long time ago but from what I can remember it was an ok read.
January 5, 2024
A very interesting read.
February 25, 2020
I love Nancy Cato but I really struggled with this one.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews