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India Dark
Madras 1910. A troupe of child performers are stranded, having staged a strike against their manager. Their fate now depends on the outcome of a court case, and an alliance with gentlemen of the British Raj. Based on a true story, India Dark recreates shifting friendships and loyalties and the clash of innocence versus experience.
326 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
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397 people want to read
About the author
Kirsty Murray
27 books66 followersKirsty Murray is a multi-award-winning author of more than 20 books for children and young adults. Her works include eleven novels as well as non-fiction, junior fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction and picture books. She loves books, libraries, bookshops, readers, writers, puddles, puppies, and stories – especially stories about kids and teenagers. Her 2019 releases included the non-fiction title 'Kids Who Did' and a gorgeous new picture book 'When Billy was a Dog', illustrated by Karen Blair. 'Strangers on Country', by Kirsty & Dave Hartley with stunning illustrations by Dub Leffler was published in 2020.
You can find me all over the internet. There's stacks of information on my website at:
hhtps://www.kirstymurray.com
and I'm on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/kirstymurrayauthor
and Twitter:
http://twitter.com/kirstymurray
You can find me all over the internet. There's stacks of information on my website at:
hhtps://www.kirstymurray.com
and I'm on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/kirstymurrayauthor
and Twitter:
http://twitter.com/kirstymurray
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 27, 2019
'India Dark' is the story of a troupe of Australian juvenile entertainers who go on tour in the Far East back in 1909-1910. Percival’s Liliputian Opera Company – known as the ‘Liliputians – is the creation of Mr Arthur Percival, a man who has recognised that an audience loves cute, charming children, the smaller the better. He has recruited a couple of dozen young performers who can sing, dance, do ventriloquism or magic tricks and his intention is to put on performances all over the Far East. It’s not a new idea and he’s done it before. At the beginning of India Dark, the troupe is back from the USA, looking to hire new children. Some of the children from the previous tour have got too old, too big or too jaded to continue. The life the children are offered (and contracted for) is one of singing and dancing and floating around the world, performing for delighted audiences who will be charmed by their talent and childish charms. Of course what you sign up for and what you actually get are not always the same things.
The book has two narrators – Poesy Swift and Tilly Sweetrick – who respectively play the parts of the nice girl and the nasty one in telling the tale of the tour that went horribly wrong.
Poesy is thirteen, innocent, naive and completely unaware of the games being played around her. Her father has died and there’s little money at home. Her future looks bleak – the match factory or the jam factory. When Tilly persuades her to audition for the troupe she thinks her mother and grandmother won’t let her go but the money would come in handy and they’re reassured that she’ll be tutored whilst she’s on tour. What could go wrong?
Tilly is a veteran of the entertainment circuit and has been with the ‘Liliputians’ for some time. She loves the attention of the ‘stage door Johnnies’ and the adoring audiences. She’s a flirty little coquette with an eye for the boys and an ambition to make it big when she graduates from underage theatre to the real thing. Tilly’s family live near Poesy and after she invites Poesy to audition, she thinks it will be fun to have a best friend from home (by which she has in mind someone she can manipulate and push around) when they are so many thousands of miles from home.
Back to my question of what could go wrong and of course, the answer is just about everything. First of all the tour isn’t going to America, it’s off around Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and India which wasn’t quite what anyone signed up for. Mr Arthur, the manager of the Liliputians, doesn’t have things easy. Bookings get cancelled, people get ill, the ship gets quarantined and his young charges are soon revolting. The kids form factions against each other, ganging up, spreading gossip and making life very unpleasant for all concerned. Some of the older girls are keen to challenge him and demand their freedom, sometimes taking a considerable risk. Mr Arthur’s idea of being ‘in loco parentis’ means he thinks it’s OK to slap the kids around because he’s got them under contract. They have to do what he says. Added to this he’s cheating on Mrs Arthur with one of the older girls, something that Poesy just can’t see or imagine until she’s confronted with the very obvious evidence.
Mr Arthur’s group of helpers are a hapless bunch – a so-called ‘tutor’ who can barely sign her name, a chaperone whose infant ‘nephew’ might not be all he seems and a few ineffectual folks to train the children and set up the shows. When the young performers get angry at the way things are going, they go on strike and demand to be sent home. The older girls coach the younger ones to tell lies about how Mr Arthur has treated them, whipping up the support of local child protection agencies to help them break free. Can the children get what they want and escape from Mr Arthur and get back home to their families or will Mr Arthur hold continue his reign of terror and chaos as the troupe implodes around him?
The idea of someone being able to recruit children and exploit them on the stage with few in the way of controls or rules to protect them seems bizarre to our 21st-century sensibilities. That a parent would dream of ‘letting’ their child go off around the world for up to two years without seeing them seems unthinkable, but these were very different times. Absurd as it seems, there’s a believability about the breakdown of the discipline in the troupe – a sort of ‘Lord of the Flies in a boat and a train’ kind of social development that’s shocking but utterly feasible. Children can be horrible little beasts and Tilly and her ilk show just how manipulative and competitive they can be. Poesy is our innocent observer who finds herself grudgingly pulled into the circle of lies and forced to decide whether it’s better to tell the truth or to support her young colleagues. Tilly is the manipulator and the girl who needs to be in charge, who needs the adoration of the crowd.
Despite the two narrators, I did find I was often getting confused by their ‘voices’ which were not significantly different. I soon learned that if the narrator was being nasty, it was probably Tilly, and if she was being a bit soppy it was probably Poesy. However aside from that, there were long passages describing what was happening which could have been either girl. Poesy gets most of the chapters and at times I wondered why we really even needed Tilly as she pops up much less frequently. I found the behaviour of the children and their manager and his support staff, disturbingly believable. At the beginning, I struggled to imagine why any audience would want to see such a show but with time we come to realise that the audiences are drying up and the troupe and what they offer seems to be losing its appeal. I could imagine when they get to India that many of the local ex-pats, most of them British, might have wanted to see the children because their own children would have been sent home to the UK for school.
One aspect of the book which quite surprised me was the inclusion of the historical figure of Annie Besant. Mrs Besant was a fascinating woman – a campaigner, reformist, president of the Theosophical Society and perhaps most astonishingly, the president of the Indian National Congress in 1917. It’s hard to think of a campaigner who could bounce around the world campaigning on topics from Irish home rule, to contraception to Indian independence. She pops up several times in the book without much in the way of explanation or background and even though the dates seem to match up, it’s a bit of a long stretch of the imagination for us to believe that a character in the book could have seen and been inspired by her in both Sydney and Madras (now Chennai). If Gandhi had been used as a figure for inspiration, it would have been cheesy in the extreme but also very believable. Mrs Besant, by contrast, is an unusual historical figure for the author to have chosen. I’d have liked a bit more of Mrs Besant and for her to be integrated into the story a bit more, rather than just floating around like some kind of distant guardian angel.
On balance, I rather enjoyed India Dark despite it being filled with unlikeable and unpleasant characters. As a tale of just how badly things can go wrong if you underestimate the power and deviousness of children, it’s a fine example. Knowing that it’s been very well researched and that – unbelievable as it sometimes seems – every character in the book is based on a child who did actually go on the tour, adds an additional dimension to the book. It’s not a great book about India, it’s not even a great book in which India pays a small part, but it’s quite an enjoyable and insightful book.
The book has two narrators – Poesy Swift and Tilly Sweetrick – who respectively play the parts of the nice girl and the nasty one in telling the tale of the tour that went horribly wrong.
Poesy is thirteen, innocent, naive and completely unaware of the games being played around her. Her father has died and there’s little money at home. Her future looks bleak – the match factory or the jam factory. When Tilly persuades her to audition for the troupe she thinks her mother and grandmother won’t let her go but the money would come in handy and they’re reassured that she’ll be tutored whilst she’s on tour. What could go wrong?
Tilly is a veteran of the entertainment circuit and has been with the ‘Liliputians’ for some time. She loves the attention of the ‘stage door Johnnies’ and the adoring audiences. She’s a flirty little coquette with an eye for the boys and an ambition to make it big when she graduates from underage theatre to the real thing. Tilly’s family live near Poesy and after she invites Poesy to audition, she thinks it will be fun to have a best friend from home (by which she has in mind someone she can manipulate and push around) when they are so many thousands of miles from home.
Back to my question of what could go wrong and of course, the answer is just about everything. First of all the tour isn’t going to America, it’s off around Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and India which wasn’t quite what anyone signed up for. Mr Arthur, the manager of the Liliputians, doesn’t have things easy. Bookings get cancelled, people get ill, the ship gets quarantined and his young charges are soon revolting. The kids form factions against each other, ganging up, spreading gossip and making life very unpleasant for all concerned. Some of the older girls are keen to challenge him and demand their freedom, sometimes taking a considerable risk. Mr Arthur’s idea of being ‘in loco parentis’ means he thinks it’s OK to slap the kids around because he’s got them under contract. They have to do what he says. Added to this he’s cheating on Mrs Arthur with one of the older girls, something that Poesy just can’t see or imagine until she’s confronted with the very obvious evidence.
Mr Arthur’s group of helpers are a hapless bunch – a so-called ‘tutor’ who can barely sign her name, a chaperone whose infant ‘nephew’ might not be all he seems and a few ineffectual folks to train the children and set up the shows. When the young performers get angry at the way things are going, they go on strike and demand to be sent home. The older girls coach the younger ones to tell lies about how Mr Arthur has treated them, whipping up the support of local child protection agencies to help them break free. Can the children get what they want and escape from Mr Arthur and get back home to their families or will Mr Arthur hold continue his reign of terror and chaos as the troupe implodes around him?
The idea of someone being able to recruit children and exploit them on the stage with few in the way of controls or rules to protect them seems bizarre to our 21st-century sensibilities. That a parent would dream of ‘letting’ their child go off around the world for up to two years without seeing them seems unthinkable, but these were very different times. Absurd as it seems, there’s a believability about the breakdown of the discipline in the troupe – a sort of ‘Lord of the Flies in a boat and a train’ kind of social development that’s shocking but utterly feasible. Children can be horrible little beasts and Tilly and her ilk show just how manipulative and competitive they can be. Poesy is our innocent observer who finds herself grudgingly pulled into the circle of lies and forced to decide whether it’s better to tell the truth or to support her young colleagues. Tilly is the manipulator and the girl who needs to be in charge, who needs the adoration of the crowd.
Despite the two narrators, I did find I was often getting confused by their ‘voices’ which were not significantly different. I soon learned that if the narrator was being nasty, it was probably Tilly, and if she was being a bit soppy it was probably Poesy. However aside from that, there were long passages describing what was happening which could have been either girl. Poesy gets most of the chapters and at times I wondered why we really even needed Tilly as she pops up much less frequently. I found the behaviour of the children and their manager and his support staff, disturbingly believable. At the beginning, I struggled to imagine why any audience would want to see such a show but with time we come to realise that the audiences are drying up and the troupe and what they offer seems to be losing its appeal. I could imagine when they get to India that many of the local ex-pats, most of them British, might have wanted to see the children because their own children would have been sent home to the UK for school.
One aspect of the book which quite surprised me was the inclusion of the historical figure of Annie Besant. Mrs Besant was a fascinating woman – a campaigner, reformist, president of the Theosophical Society and perhaps most astonishingly, the president of the Indian National Congress in 1917. It’s hard to think of a campaigner who could bounce around the world campaigning on topics from Irish home rule, to contraception to Indian independence. She pops up several times in the book without much in the way of explanation or background and even though the dates seem to match up, it’s a bit of a long stretch of the imagination for us to believe that a character in the book could have seen and been inspired by her in both Sydney and Madras (now Chennai). If Gandhi had been used as a figure for inspiration, it would have been cheesy in the extreme but also very believable. Mrs Besant, by contrast, is an unusual historical figure for the author to have chosen. I’d have liked a bit more of Mrs Besant and for her to be integrated into the story a bit more, rather than just floating around like some kind of distant guardian angel.
On balance, I rather enjoyed India Dark despite it being filled with unlikeable and unpleasant characters. As a tale of just how badly things can go wrong if you underestimate the power and deviousness of children, it’s a fine example. Knowing that it’s been very well researched and that – unbelievable as it sometimes seems – every character in the book is based on a child who did actually go on the tour, adds an additional dimension to the book. It’s not a great book about India, it’s not even a great book in which India pays a small part, but it’s quite an enjoyable and insightful book.
October 10, 2011
Murray did a great deal of research in writing India Dark, and from what I’ve read, became quite invested in it. This allows me a greater appreciation of the book. I think she has done a fantastic job of taking a small but fascinating part of Australian history and turning it into a novel which is vivid, well-written and complex, plus a rollicking good adventure to boot. I would highly reccommend India Dark for school libraries. It has all the important stuff while remaining a compelling, at times fun, story. There is lots to discuss. There is even more to enjoy. I'm not a fan of historical fiction, nor did I really find it to be 'my type of book'; but still, this is great stuff.
Full review at:
http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com/search...
Full review at:
http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com/search...
January 13, 2012
4½ Out of 5
Poesy Swift and Tilly Sweetrick are Lilliputians – child performers who tour the world, singing and dancing, having the times of their lives before becoming ladies, gentlemen and ‘real’ actors. To begin with, it is just like that for Poesy: she’s escaped the shattered remains of her family, is with her old friend and doing what she loves best. But soon the money starts running out. Illness strikes. Under the pressure, the manager Mr Arthur soon shows his true colours. And before they know it, Poesy and Tilly are trapped at the centre of a scandal. Unsure of who to trustm who their true friends are, the two must find a way to escape. Without destroying everything – including their own future careers – as they do…
I love historical novels. I love the feeling of going back in time, getting a glimpse of the past, feeling like I’m there. The last one is the trickiest to find in a book. But with India Dark… I found it! I travelled back to the early 1900s, touring India and such with the Lilliputian troop. I fell in love with the world, the writing, the characters: sweet, too-naïve Poesy and overly-confident, always-scheming Tilly… I couldn’t wait for my two narrators to reveal the scandal, but at the same time I didn’t want to leave! Ever!
Poesy Swift, aged thirteen, was sweet, sensitive and really naïve. She had a brilliant imagination and I just adored her voice. She really loved her family, you could tell, but couldn’t cope anymore – not after her father’s death. Poesy tried to see the best in everyone, and therefore overlooked things obvious to the rest of us. But we all knew that sooner or later, Poesy would have to open her eyes and accept. I just felt so bad for her the moment she did… I loved Poesy, but, sometimes her blatant ignorance annoyed me… She just had to grow up too soon, like so many of the others in this book.
Tilly Sweetrick, fifteen, didn’t care what anybody thought of her. She was confident, bold, totally cool under pressure and really funny at times. She loved being the centre of attention – in fact, the kids at school used to call her “Little Miss Noticebox”. And once her mind was made up, it was final: No forgiveness to those who have wronged her. She was an amazing leader: strong, fair. She did seem to care for Poesy – she wanted her to grow up, explore life... But she was rather cruel in her educating… She could be truly wicked and manipulative at times, but I knew she only wanted the truth to come out. To be free. Tilly Sweetrick was a series of contradictions. For ages, I couldn’t tell whether I absolutely adored Tilly or not. She wasn’t nice at times, but I couldn’t help loving her. It’s so hard to describe…
Charlie Byrne, thirteen, was kind, sweet, wise, wonderfully odd and always there for Poesy. He didn’t hide anything from Poesy: he always spoke his mind and he kept out of trouble. Training to be a magician, I loved that Charlie believed in ‘real magic’. He was just a real sweetie, loyal to the end, and always taking care of Poesy. I loved him! My star character!
Initially, Poesy and Charlie were like brother and sister. But it soon turned into something else. When they were together, I was so full of happiness at the sweetness of their friendship. And the potential of something more… Charlie was Poesy’s anchor, and I just loved seeing their relationship develop. They were perfect, a wonderful break and some of my favourite scenes. Plus: they were so cute!
Tilly and Poesy... It was really interesting, seeing how the two’s memories of the same events differed – who was remembering the truth? Or were they both merely seeing their own versions of the truth? Seeing the world through both girls’ eyes was misleading to begin with. Murray played it well, had me constantly guessing about what the two would do. Why Tilly called Poesy a liar on the first page, whether it truly was Poesy lying… I couldn’t tell, and I loved the feeling of mystery. I was completely wrong at the beginning!
From the word go, hints of a scandal were dropped. Accusations were implied, never written, never told aloud. I was constantly forming suspicions as to what the scandal was. As I read on, they got wilder, sillier and more unlikely. All these hints, these guesses, made me desperate to know WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!! I sped through the book to find the answer of my question. So much foreboding, it just drove me insane! And I adored every second of the plot, the twists, the turns, the hints. Every single chapter had me under its power, the entire book was more effective than the mesmerising Tilly attempted. It was a powerful book, one that consumed me and made me race to the end, desperate to find out what would happen to the characters, if the scandal was the one I felt it was. And even though slow at times, I was never bored.
I adored the writing! It was beautiful, powerful, emotional. I just loved all the different metaphors, the descriptions… I could tell the two girls apart – they each had distinct styles, but most of all the FEEL of their voices were different. Tilly was more snarky, wiser, than Poesy’s more naïve, inexperienced voice. Poesy was more delicate and gentle in her choice of words than Tilly, who being bold, confident and sure of herself didn’t have the same… shyness as Poesy. I admired the subtle difference between the two girls, who I got to know as well as if I were in the troop with them. ‘Though neither were that reliable as narrators: Tilly was a drama queen and Poesy was determined to only see the good. But as I said, I adored Murray’s writing: so descriptive of all the different, amazing scenes, without being heavy and dull. I loved learning about all the exotic places I’ve never been – especially as it was over 100 years ago! More than that: I loved seeing the future. I loved seeing what happened to my favourites, even if sometimes it was really sad (I cried!).
Two unique heroines, one harsh guardian, a boy magician, a troop of young performers and one heck of a scandal, India Dark had me under its spell from start to finish. I adored every moment, and I can’t wait for Kirsty’s next book! And while I am aware there will never be another book in this world, I still long for one. I want to know more about the girls!
Poesy Swift and Tilly Sweetrick are Lilliputians – child performers who tour the world, singing and dancing, having the times of their lives before becoming ladies, gentlemen and ‘real’ actors. To begin with, it is just like that for Poesy: she’s escaped the shattered remains of her family, is with her old friend and doing what she loves best. But soon the money starts running out. Illness strikes. Under the pressure, the manager Mr Arthur soon shows his true colours. And before they know it, Poesy and Tilly are trapped at the centre of a scandal. Unsure of who to trustm who their true friends are, the two must find a way to escape. Without destroying everything – including their own future careers – as they do…
I love historical novels. I love the feeling of going back in time, getting a glimpse of the past, feeling like I’m there. The last one is the trickiest to find in a book. But with India Dark… I found it! I travelled back to the early 1900s, touring India and such with the Lilliputian troop. I fell in love with the world, the writing, the characters: sweet, too-naïve Poesy and overly-confident, always-scheming Tilly… I couldn’t wait for my two narrators to reveal the scandal, but at the same time I didn’t want to leave! Ever!
Poesy Swift, aged thirteen, was sweet, sensitive and really naïve. She had a brilliant imagination and I just adored her voice. She really loved her family, you could tell, but couldn’t cope anymore – not after her father’s death. Poesy tried to see the best in everyone, and therefore overlooked things obvious to the rest of us. But we all knew that sooner or later, Poesy would have to open her eyes and accept. I just felt so bad for her the moment she did… I loved Poesy, but, sometimes her blatant ignorance annoyed me… She just had to grow up too soon, like so many of the others in this book.
Tilly Sweetrick, fifteen, didn’t care what anybody thought of her. She was confident, bold, totally cool under pressure and really funny at times. She loved being the centre of attention – in fact, the kids at school used to call her “Little Miss Noticebox”. And once her mind was made up, it was final: No forgiveness to those who have wronged her. She was an amazing leader: strong, fair. She did seem to care for Poesy – she wanted her to grow up, explore life... But she was rather cruel in her educating… She could be truly wicked and manipulative at times, but I knew she only wanted the truth to come out. To be free. Tilly Sweetrick was a series of contradictions. For ages, I couldn’t tell whether I absolutely adored Tilly or not. She wasn’t nice at times, but I couldn’t help loving her. It’s so hard to describe…
Charlie Byrne, thirteen, was kind, sweet, wise, wonderfully odd and always there for Poesy. He didn’t hide anything from Poesy: he always spoke his mind and he kept out of trouble. Training to be a magician, I loved that Charlie believed in ‘real magic’. He was just a real sweetie, loyal to the end, and always taking care of Poesy. I loved him! My star character!
Initially, Poesy and Charlie were like brother and sister. But it soon turned into something else. When they were together, I was so full of happiness at the sweetness of their friendship. And the potential of something more… Charlie was Poesy’s anchor, and I just loved seeing their relationship develop. They were perfect, a wonderful break and some of my favourite scenes. Plus: they were so cute!
Tilly and Poesy... It was really interesting, seeing how the two’s memories of the same events differed – who was remembering the truth? Or were they both merely seeing their own versions of the truth? Seeing the world through both girls’ eyes was misleading to begin with. Murray played it well, had me constantly guessing about what the two would do. Why Tilly called Poesy a liar on the first page, whether it truly was Poesy lying… I couldn’t tell, and I loved the feeling of mystery. I was completely wrong at the beginning!
From the word go, hints of a scandal were dropped. Accusations were implied, never written, never told aloud. I was constantly forming suspicions as to what the scandal was. As I read on, they got wilder, sillier and more unlikely. All these hints, these guesses, made me desperate to know WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!! I sped through the book to find the answer of my question. So much foreboding, it just drove me insane! And I adored every second of the plot, the twists, the turns, the hints. Every single chapter had me under its power, the entire book was more effective than the mesmerising Tilly attempted. It was a powerful book, one that consumed me and made me race to the end, desperate to find out what would happen to the characters, if the scandal was the one I felt it was. And even though slow at times, I was never bored.
I adored the writing! It was beautiful, powerful, emotional. I just loved all the different metaphors, the descriptions… I could tell the two girls apart – they each had distinct styles, but most of all the FEEL of their voices were different. Tilly was more snarky, wiser, than Poesy’s more naïve, inexperienced voice. Poesy was more delicate and gentle in her choice of words than Tilly, who being bold, confident and sure of herself didn’t have the same… shyness as Poesy. I admired the subtle difference between the two girls, who I got to know as well as if I were in the troop with them. ‘Though neither were that reliable as narrators: Tilly was a drama queen and Poesy was determined to only see the good. But as I said, I adored Murray’s writing: so descriptive of all the different, amazing scenes, without being heavy and dull. I loved learning about all the exotic places I’ve never been – especially as it was over 100 years ago! More than that: I loved seeing the future. I loved seeing what happened to my favourites, even if sometimes it was really sad (I cried!).
Two unique heroines, one harsh guardian, a boy magician, a troop of young performers and one heck of a scandal, India Dark had me under its spell from start to finish. I adored every moment, and I can’t wait for Kirsty’s next book! And while I am aware there will never be another book in this world, I still long for one. I want to know more about the girls!
March 5, 2018
“There are many lives I might have lived and things that might have been.”
A wonderfully vivid evocation of time, place and character that explores a virtually unknown event in Australian/ Indian history.
A wonderfully vivid evocation of time, place and character that explores a virtually unknown event in Australian/ Indian history.
August 18, 2018
When I first started reading this book, I was not expecting it to be as dark as it was. India Dark tells the story of a troop of Australian child performers, The Lilliputians, as they perform across India. This story has some unexpected and slightly disturbing topics mixed in. These include girls persuading other girls to do things they don't want to do, and the adult in charge Mr Arthur is in a close relationship with one of the older members of the troop. As a book I thought this was an interesting book to read.
January 13, 2021
Interesting premise, I can't believe that this is based on a true story.
January 6, 2012
Is anyone else drooling over this cover? Because it is gorgeous. Even though I have an ARC, kindly provided by Templar, I’m very tempted to buy the published book simply so I can have that cover on my book shelf!
If anyone’s looking for something a bit different in historical YA, or simply YA in general, I would urge you to pick up India Dark. I’m a big fan of historical fiction and even more so when it’s inspired or based on real characters or a real event, and particularly if it’s one based on events that aren’t as well known.
India Dark is kind of like a mixture of everything I enjoy reading, a book for both younger and older readers, engaging but flawed characters, some insight into different cultures, a theatrical background, historical setting and a glimpse into a very different way of life. The story is based on a real theatre troupe from the 1880′s, Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company, which closed in 1910 when the children walked out and refused to tour with their manager any more.
It’s a surprisingly dark tale that touches on child abuse, bullying, lies and possible sexual assault. Since we see a lot of this through the eyes of Posey, a naive, young girl, new to the theatre troupe, nothing is explicit. Indeed, Posey doesn’t quite understand or catch many of the things going on around her, but it is certainly there, a sinister undertone that builds throughout the book.
One of the things I liked most about India Dark was how the that events are told through the eyes of two very different narrators. Posey sees everything through rose tinted glasses and is desperate for everyone to be one big happy family. Tilly is older, almost cynical and at times quite selfish. She becomes determined to get escape the troupe and punish Arthur Percival, who she blames (rightly or wrongly), for ruined her chances of touring America. Each girl views the same events in strikingly different ways. What was especially interesting was how they saw each other. Tilly sees Posey not as a sweet, kind hearted girl, but as someone who is well aware of her innocent apparel and who can actually be quite manipulative and sly. Both are unreliable narrators. As is the case of the original Lilliputians, we’re never certain who is telling the truth and who has exaggerating or twisted events to suit their own purpose. I actually preferred Tilly as the novel progressed, but I did feel for Posey. Loss of innocence is an important theme that Murray explores in India Dark and Posey is just one of several who is forced to grow up far too quickly.
There are many characters in India Dark but all felt real, as if their own stories were taking place just out of sight, of the page, and several have their own story arc weaving in and out of the main plot. I was fascinated when I discovered that each character was inspired by, or based on, a real member of Pollard’s Opera Company. If any character stole my heart it was Charlie. One of the younger boys, he mostly keeps to himself and stays out of the many petty squabbles, dramas and upsets that break out among the Lilliputians – particularly among the girls. He wants to be a magician, and unlike the others, takes advantage of the troupe being diverted through India to make new friends, learn their customs and chase his own dreams. His friendship and tentative relationship with Posey is touching and formed some of my very favourite scenes of the novel.
I felt Murray captured the atmosphere of the time and the setting extremely well. I loved the brief glimpses into the British Empire, the children’s (and their guardian’s) understanding and attitude towards Eastern people and Eastern cultures and vice-versa. The lack of opportunities for children from poor families in the early 19th century, the constraints and treatment of young women of the time, the sexualisation of the Lilliputians in theatre troupes, the outbreak of cholera and the growing appreciation and following for magicians and spiritualism throughout that period. These were only brushed upon, but it was these little details that made India Dark for me.
India Dark does loose momentum at times and the climax of the story, where the children walk out on the theatre troupe and that following chapters as they await the trial, I actually found to be the least interesting part of the book. The epilogue gives us a sad, bittersweet glance into the Lilliputian's lives as adults, the friendships that have survived over the years, and the ones that haven't. There is also a Victorian styled program at the beginning of the book which is very helpful for keeping track of all the secondary characters and their various ages. All I want now is a companion book with the collection of photographs and documents that Murray used to bring India Dark to life...
*Many thanks to Templar for sending an ARC for review*
If anyone’s looking for something a bit different in historical YA, or simply YA in general, I would urge you to pick up India Dark. I’m a big fan of historical fiction and even more so when it’s inspired or based on real characters or a real event, and particularly if it’s one based on events that aren’t as well known.
India Dark is kind of like a mixture of everything I enjoy reading, a book for both younger and older readers, engaging but flawed characters, some insight into different cultures, a theatrical background, historical setting and a glimpse into a very different way of life. The story is based on a real theatre troupe from the 1880′s, Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company, which closed in 1910 when the children walked out and refused to tour with their manager any more.
It’s a surprisingly dark tale that touches on child abuse, bullying, lies and possible sexual assault. Since we see a lot of this through the eyes of Posey, a naive, young girl, new to the theatre troupe, nothing is explicit. Indeed, Posey doesn’t quite understand or catch many of the things going on around her, but it is certainly there, a sinister undertone that builds throughout the book.
One of the things I liked most about India Dark was how the that events are told through the eyes of two very different narrators. Posey sees everything through rose tinted glasses and is desperate for everyone to be one big happy family. Tilly is older, almost cynical and at times quite selfish. She becomes determined to get escape the troupe and punish Arthur Percival, who she blames (rightly or wrongly), for ruined her chances of touring America. Each girl views the same events in strikingly different ways. What was especially interesting was how they saw each other. Tilly sees Posey not as a sweet, kind hearted girl, but as someone who is well aware of her innocent apparel and who can actually be quite manipulative and sly. Both are unreliable narrators. As is the case of the original Lilliputians, we’re never certain who is telling the truth and who has exaggerating or twisted events to suit their own purpose. I actually preferred Tilly as the novel progressed, but I did feel for Posey. Loss of innocence is an important theme that Murray explores in India Dark and Posey is just one of several who is forced to grow up far too quickly.
There are many characters in India Dark but all felt real, as if their own stories were taking place just out of sight, of the page, and several have their own story arc weaving in and out of the main plot. I was fascinated when I discovered that each character was inspired by, or based on, a real member of Pollard’s Opera Company. If any character stole my heart it was Charlie. One of the younger boys, he mostly keeps to himself and stays out of the many petty squabbles, dramas and upsets that break out among the Lilliputians – particularly among the girls. He wants to be a magician, and unlike the others, takes advantage of the troupe being diverted through India to make new friends, learn their customs and chase his own dreams. His friendship and tentative relationship with Posey is touching and formed some of my very favourite scenes of the novel.
I felt Murray captured the atmosphere of the time and the setting extremely well. I loved the brief glimpses into the British Empire, the children’s (and their guardian’s) understanding and attitude towards Eastern people and Eastern cultures and vice-versa. The lack of opportunities for children from poor families in the early 19th century, the constraints and treatment of young women of the time, the sexualisation of the Lilliputians in theatre troupes, the outbreak of cholera and the growing appreciation and following for magicians and spiritualism throughout that period. These were only brushed upon, but it was these little details that made India Dark for me.
India Dark does loose momentum at times and the climax of the story, where the children walk out on the theatre troupe and that following chapters as they await the trial, I actually found to be the least interesting part of the book. The epilogue gives us a sad, bittersweet glance into the Lilliputian's lives as adults, the friendships that have survived over the years, and the ones that haven't. There is also a Victorian styled program at the beginning of the book which is very helpful for keeping track of all the secondary characters and their various ages. All I want now is a companion book with the collection of photographs and documents that Murray used to bring India Dark to life...
*Many thanks to Templar for sending an ARC for review*
August 6, 2017
Ughhhh why did it have to end?? It defiantly didn't go the way I wanted it to but I think that was the best part. It was such an amazing book and it was so heartwarming. Both of the covers for this book are absolutely beautiful! My favourite character was defiantly Charlie.
March 12, 2017
Not only is this a good tale but it is an interesting piece of Australian history.
June 9, 2012
It was 1909 when Posey Swift left Australian shores to tour America with the Lilliputian troupe, filled with dreams of singing and dancing her way across the country. But as funds run low and the Lilliputian group detours across South East Asia, the children find themselves fighting against the company owner Mr Arthur. How far will the children go to protect their rights, their freedom and get back home?
Review: Based on a true story, India Dark is set in a time when travel to different countries was limited to the rich or the British Empire army, and encounters with people of different cultures and heritages was rare. For the children in the Lilliputian dance and musical theatre troupe, their travels to South-East Asia and India open their eyes to different worlds, and the narrative has been written to encapsulate this and ensnare the reader’s senses and bring alive a land of foreign and beautiful wonders. The harsh treatment of the children did impinge on my enjoyment of the country’s wonders but it made me understand why many of the children began to hate certain parts of India, associating them with maltreatment and negative experiences.
The story is told from two perspectives: Posey Swift, a young and naive girl of 13 who is making her first journey with the Lilliputians, and 15 year old Tilly Sweetrick, who is much more world-wise and on her second tour. I liked Tilly because she was transparent in what she wanted, and saw people for what they really were, but she verged on manipulative and harsh. On the other hand, Posey was just so sweet and innocent, but didn’t realise what was going on around her or how her behaviour might affect others. Although it could be a little confusing trying to keep up with whose narrative I was reading, I think the story benefited hugely from the dual perspective. The fact that the two girls had different experiences of the tour and were completely different characters, helped me see what happened from different viewpoints and sympathise with different characters.
Like Posey, I fell for Charlie, as his interest in magic and the Indian fakirs (magicians) was really exciting. Reading about the illusions with mango trees growing on stage felt so magical, and I could see why he was entranced by the mysterious of India. He was also able to stay out of the fights and seemed wise beyond his years. The fact that he would dress like the locals and sneak out to see the real India was very courageous and rebellious (for a boy of 13), and I really admired that in him.
Starting in the courtroom, the story jumps back to before the children set off on their long journey, and follows them as things go from bad to worse. The plot was filled with lies, deception, excitement, suspense, drama, upsets and fighting, and throughout there was an underlying feeling of dread at what might happen to the children. Although the story slowed towards the end, I still wanted to know what happened to the cruel Mr Arthur and how the children were affected by their experiences in the troupe. The story most certainly touches on the children's loss of innocence and it feels such a shame and a crime, that the amazing adventure for the children turns so sour.
This captivating historical story will take you back to a different era and completely immerse you in the travels and troubles that happen on tour. Kirsty Murray has done a great job bringing the childrens' tale to life!
Rating: 4*
Review: Based on a true story, India Dark is set in a time when travel to different countries was limited to the rich or the British Empire army, and encounters with people of different cultures and heritages was rare. For the children in the Lilliputian dance and musical theatre troupe, their travels to South-East Asia and India open their eyes to different worlds, and the narrative has been written to encapsulate this and ensnare the reader’s senses and bring alive a land of foreign and beautiful wonders. The harsh treatment of the children did impinge on my enjoyment of the country’s wonders but it made me understand why many of the children began to hate certain parts of India, associating them with maltreatment and negative experiences.
The story is told from two perspectives: Posey Swift, a young and naive girl of 13 who is making her first journey with the Lilliputians, and 15 year old Tilly Sweetrick, who is much more world-wise and on her second tour. I liked Tilly because she was transparent in what she wanted, and saw people for what they really were, but she verged on manipulative and harsh. On the other hand, Posey was just so sweet and innocent, but didn’t realise what was going on around her or how her behaviour might affect others. Although it could be a little confusing trying to keep up with whose narrative I was reading, I think the story benefited hugely from the dual perspective. The fact that the two girls had different experiences of the tour and were completely different characters, helped me see what happened from different viewpoints and sympathise with different characters.
Like Posey, I fell for Charlie, as his interest in magic and the Indian fakirs (magicians) was really exciting. Reading about the illusions with mango trees growing on stage felt so magical, and I could see why he was entranced by the mysterious of India. He was also able to stay out of the fights and seemed wise beyond his years. The fact that he would dress like the locals and sneak out to see the real India was very courageous and rebellious (for a boy of 13), and I really admired that in him.
Starting in the courtroom, the story jumps back to before the children set off on their long journey, and follows them as things go from bad to worse. The plot was filled with lies, deception, excitement, suspense, drama, upsets and fighting, and throughout there was an underlying feeling of dread at what might happen to the children. Although the story slowed towards the end, I still wanted to know what happened to the cruel Mr Arthur and how the children were affected by their experiences in the troupe. The story most certainly touches on the children's loss of innocence and it feels such a shame and a crime, that the amazing adventure for the children turns so sour.
This captivating historical story will take you back to a different era and completely immerse you in the travels and troubles that happen on tour. Kirsty Murray has done a great job bringing the childrens' tale to life!
Rating: 4*
January 19, 2012
This review was originally published at Fluttering Butterflies
I don't know what it is, but something about India really intrigues me. Which is partially why I was excited to read India Dark by Kirsty Murray, despite it being an historical novel. But of course, the other part of it (pretty cover aside!) is the fascinating premise of it.
Based on a true story, India Dark tells a fictionalised story of a children's travelling theatre group in 1910, which went on strike while touring India and refused to go any further until the manager is removed. What I was most curious about is that this happened at all. It's a large group of children, varying in age, whose parents had signed over custodial rights in order for their children to work in this theatre group for two years. I find that incredible! From a parent's perspective, I find it unimaginable - with worries about safety and education and living and travelling conditions. But of course, as a child, I'd probably only be thinking of the adventure of it all. The excitement of seeing the world and performing in front of mixed audiences and the freedom that would go along with it.
And at first, that's what this story seemed to be about. Told in a dual-perspective by two of the girls in the travelling theatre, they tell a story of leaving their homes in Australia, encountering different social customs in Southeast Asia. These two girls, Poesy and Tilly, tell of the lack of education the children receive, the attention that the girls get after performances. It tells of costumes and set changes and the different songs and dances that are performed. There's a lot of bickering and arguments between groups of people, of course. But things mostly run smoothly.
But then things start becoming a little more dire. As news of poor showings and ticket sales occur, it soon becomes evident that this group, once on their way to America, will now detour throughout Asia and spend a great deal of time in India instead. And while a lot of the story is a straightforward account of events, it also brings up the stifling feelings of the older girls who want more control and freedom to choose which songs to sing and to roam about more freely.
When more and more conflict arises from friendships with some of the male fans of the showand when secrets and betrayals start coming between the friendships of those within the group and when more of the girls start rebelling against their minders, everything seems to come apart and snowball in terms of problems and conflict.
I really enjoyed this story, seeing the events unfold from two very different narrators with different ideas and priorities and viewpoints. While I did find the story to be a little bit long, I really enjoyed the making and unravelling of friendships in India Dark. I loved the detail of the performances, especially Charlie's interest in magic, and also how well Kirsty Murray showed that the truth can be very complicated and have many different sides and perspectives.
I don't know what it is, but something about India really intrigues me. Which is partially why I was excited to read India Dark by Kirsty Murray, despite it being an historical novel. But of course, the other part of it (pretty cover aside!) is the fascinating premise of it.
Based on a true story, India Dark tells a fictionalised story of a children's travelling theatre group in 1910, which went on strike while touring India and refused to go any further until the manager is removed. What I was most curious about is that this happened at all. It's a large group of children, varying in age, whose parents had signed over custodial rights in order for their children to work in this theatre group for two years. I find that incredible! From a parent's perspective, I find it unimaginable - with worries about safety and education and living and travelling conditions. But of course, as a child, I'd probably only be thinking of the adventure of it all. The excitement of seeing the world and performing in front of mixed audiences and the freedom that would go along with it.
And at first, that's what this story seemed to be about. Told in a dual-perspective by two of the girls in the travelling theatre, they tell a story of leaving their homes in Australia, encountering different social customs in Southeast Asia. These two girls, Poesy and Tilly, tell of the lack of education the children receive, the attention that the girls get after performances. It tells of costumes and set changes and the different songs and dances that are performed. There's a lot of bickering and arguments between groups of people, of course. But things mostly run smoothly.
But then things start becoming a little more dire. As news of poor showings and ticket sales occur, it soon becomes evident that this group, once on their way to America, will now detour throughout Asia and spend a great deal of time in India instead. And while a lot of the story is a straightforward account of events, it also brings up the stifling feelings of the older girls who want more control and freedom to choose which songs to sing and to roam about more freely.
When more and more conflict arises from friendships with some of the male fans of the showand when secrets and betrayals start coming between the friendships of those within the group and when more of the girls start rebelling against their minders, everything seems to come apart and snowball in terms of problems and conflict.
I really enjoyed this story, seeing the events unfold from two very different narrators with different ideas and priorities and viewpoints. While I did find the story to be a little bit long, I really enjoyed the making and unravelling of friendships in India Dark. I loved the detail of the performances, especially Charlie's interest in magic, and also how well Kirsty Murray showed that the truth can be very complicated and have many different sides and perspectives.
June 29, 2012
I picked this up because of the gorgeous cover! I loved the colours and the way it felt, and also because on the back it looks like a theatre poster or a newspaper article. And I liked that there was a cast list on the first page, and named chapters, and a map and a glossary and everything. It just felt like MORE than a book, especially when I read the blurb and realised it was based on a true story. And to begin with it was original and interesting! It's about a group of Edwardian child actresses going on a tour of south-east Asia, performing music hall shows to the colonists in Singapore and India and so on, and it just seemed so wonderfully rich and lush and exotic, the contrast of the girls with their white dresses and rag-curled hair in these foreign countries, having adventures and losing their innocent view of the world. (Cholera! Dead bodies! No money!)
It's narrated by the two main characters, 13-year-old Poesy and 15-year-old Tilly. They're very different, but their voices didn't really stand out from each other all that much? Sometimes I had to flick back to double-check who was narrating, because it was hard to tell at times. But I liked how their views on things so often clashed. (When they recount their first meeting, Poesy is completely in the dark, whereas Tilly thinks she's being deliberately coy and annoying.) But after a while Poesy's naivete really started to grate, and I got tired of the same old things always repeating: the older girls acting up, Mr Arthur getting cross, Poesy and Eliza simpering. And Mr Arthur was such a caricature. Is it too much to ask for believable dialogue these days? I also thought the older girls acted too modern with their flirting and so on.
The ending was so anticlimactic. I was expecting some HUGE drama, especially after that opening chapter with the scene at the courtroom. But no, in the course of the book it all seemed rather expected. Of course the children were going to go on strike. And then after the ~concluding scene~ which was really rather nothing-y, it was just like, "And then we all worked until we'd saved up the fare and went home, the end." I wanted MORE from this book and it didn't deliver. After a gripping opening, it just didn't live up to its own standards, and I admit it, I was disappointed.
It's narrated by the two main characters, 13-year-old Poesy and 15-year-old Tilly. They're very different, but their voices didn't really stand out from each other all that much? Sometimes I had to flick back to double-check who was narrating, because it was hard to tell at times. But I liked how their views on things so often clashed. (When they recount their first meeting, Poesy is completely in the dark, whereas Tilly thinks she's being deliberately coy and annoying.) But after a while Poesy's naivete really started to grate, and I got tired of the same old things always repeating: the older girls acting up, Mr Arthur getting cross, Poesy and Eliza simpering. And Mr Arthur was such a caricature. Is it too much to ask for believable dialogue these days? I also thought the older girls acted too modern with their flirting and so on.
The ending was so anticlimactic. I was expecting some HUGE drama, especially after that opening chapter with the scene at the courtroom. But no, in the course of the book it all seemed rather expected. Of course the children were going to go on strike. And then after the ~concluding scene~ which was really rather nothing-y, it was just like, "And then we all worked until we'd saved up the fare and went home, the end." I wanted MORE from this book and it didn't deliver. After a gripping opening, it just didn't live up to its own standards, and I admit it, I was disappointed.
November 17, 2011
I usually don't settle for historical fiction - yeah, I like history, but sometimes certain parts bore me. But not this book! It is set in 1910 in India. A theatre company travels the world which leads to adventures, secrets and lies, and disasters that lead trouble for Posey and Tilly...
First of all, I must comment on the writing. It is exquisite. I loved the metaphors and descriptive language used, it is one of the reasons why I didn't want to put the book down. For example; the first line is "Daisy opened her mouth and lies flew out." Brilliant! Another teaser is:
"Her face so pink and white, her lips so plump and sweet, her lies so vile. I had to cover my ears. I shut my eyes too, wanting to block out the courtroom, to neither see nor hear the evil."
I love how it is so descriptive. The book made me feel like I was there, with Tilly and Posey. What makes it even better is that the book is based on a true story, so the events are even more thrilling if you are aware that this happened in reality.
I am not sure what age group to recommend it to. Some of the dialogue can be a bit young, not something people would say in real life. Sometimes I found the book hard to relate to, which made it at times not as gripping. During the middle I felt like I couldn't really be bothered to carry on reading it, like it was a bit of a chore. However, I am glad a did carry on because the ending is beautiful! I can also see why the author had to make the beginning a bit longer to go with the story.
India Dark has all different genres - romance, adventure, action, loneliness, dishonesty, friendship - so I guess lots of different people will enjoy this book. I may recommend this book slightly more to girls 8-14, because it is told from a two girls perspectives and about their lives.
If you are a historical fiction fan, this book is for you! This book takes not only the characters on a journey, but yourself too. I have been re-reading my favourite parts a lot, I didn't want it to end.
First of all, I must comment on the writing. It is exquisite. I loved the metaphors and descriptive language used, it is one of the reasons why I didn't want to put the book down. For example; the first line is "Daisy opened her mouth and lies flew out." Brilliant! Another teaser is:
"Her face so pink and white, her lips so plump and sweet, her lies so vile. I had to cover my ears. I shut my eyes too, wanting to block out the courtroom, to neither see nor hear the evil."
I love how it is so descriptive. The book made me feel like I was there, with Tilly and Posey. What makes it even better is that the book is based on a true story, so the events are even more thrilling if you are aware that this happened in reality.
I am not sure what age group to recommend it to. Some of the dialogue can be a bit young, not something people would say in real life. Sometimes I found the book hard to relate to, which made it at times not as gripping. During the middle I felt like I couldn't really be bothered to carry on reading it, like it was a bit of a chore. However, I am glad a did carry on because the ending is beautiful! I can also see why the author had to make the beginning a bit longer to go with the story.
India Dark has all different genres - romance, adventure, action, loneliness, dishonesty, friendship - so I guess lots of different people will enjoy this book. I may recommend this book slightly more to girls 8-14, because it is told from a two girls perspectives and about their lives.
If you are a historical fiction fan, this book is for you! This book takes not only the characters on a journey, but yourself too. I have been re-reading my favourite parts a lot, I didn't want it to end.
April 5, 2017
Beautifully written, well-researched, character driven novel that starts starts a bit slow but becomes a page-turner by the third to halfway mark.
Despite the premise, this is quite a subtle novel, which focuses on small things happening to ordinary people. The meatier events happen to peripheral characters, or are taking place in the background. The main characters are drawn in a very realistic way, and Murray does a particularly good job of making this group of teens really think and behave the way you did when you were a teenager, while still letting you care about them. She does not edit out the pettiness or the brattiness to make more likeable characters, and both protagonists have admirable moments and seriously flawed moments.
While the novel is basically a road trip, the focus is very much on the internal politics of the theatre troupe, and what we see of the lands they travel through is limited by their perspective. It is a bit like when the real estate agent advertises 'sea views', and you actually visit the property and think it would have been more realistic to describe it as 'sea glimpses'. You don't come away from this book feeling like you have experienced the way people in India live. Rather, you are immersed in the theatre culture of turn of the century Australia. I don't think this is a criticism of the book, but it's something to be aware of in terms of expectations.
Murray really captures the perspectives of the girls with authentic voices. Every line is beautifully written, drawing richly on the language and culture of the period, but still sustains the illusion that we are hearing the girls' real voices. I really like this kind of elegant, unpretentious prose.
I actually enjoyed this novel more than The Book Thief, which I found a bit melodramatic and contrived, but if you enjoyed that, you'd probably enjoy this one. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Codename Verity, as well as anyone who enjoys the classic period novels about women (from Anne of Green Gables to Jane Eyre etc.)
Despite the premise, this is quite a subtle novel, which focuses on small things happening to ordinary people. The meatier events happen to peripheral characters, or are taking place in the background. The main characters are drawn in a very realistic way, and Murray does a particularly good job of making this group of teens really think and behave the way you did when you were a teenager, while still letting you care about them. She does not edit out the pettiness or the brattiness to make more likeable characters, and both protagonists have admirable moments and seriously flawed moments.
While the novel is basically a road trip, the focus is very much on the internal politics of the theatre troupe, and what we see of the lands they travel through is limited by their perspective. It is a bit like when the real estate agent advertises 'sea views', and you actually visit the property and think it would have been more realistic to describe it as 'sea glimpses'. You don't come away from this book feeling like you have experienced the way people in India live. Rather, you are immersed in the theatre culture of turn of the century Australia. I don't think this is a criticism of the book, but it's something to be aware of in terms of expectations.
Murray really captures the perspectives of the girls with authentic voices. Every line is beautifully written, drawing richly on the language and culture of the period, but still sustains the illusion that we are hearing the girls' real voices. I really like this kind of elegant, unpretentious prose.
I actually enjoyed this novel more than The Book Thief, which I found a bit melodramatic and contrived, but if you enjoyed that, you'd probably enjoy this one. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Codename Verity, as well as anyone who enjoys the classic period novels about women (from Anne of Green Gables to Jane Eyre etc.)
September 14, 2010
Kirsty Murray writes (among other things) historical fiction - it's one of her real passions. I've heard her talk about it on a couple of occasions (actually, I've got vague recollections of the two of us doing a panel on the subject at some-writer's-festival-or-other, but I can't recall any specifics, so it's quite possible that my brain is just making it up.)
In any case, the point is that not only does she write historical fiction, but she writes it beautifully. Reading her books is reading the work of a true craftsperson - her dedication to her art is evident in every carefully chosen word, and every perfectly constructed sentence. For me, the difficult part about historical fiction isn't so much finding material to write about - the past is just loaded with tiny and intriguing little cul-de-sac's of narrative just begging to be explored - but making the past come to life; getting all the tiny details and elements correct, but also writing in such a way as to capture the sensory aspects of a time and place which I can have no direct experience of.
And that's exactly what she's done with India Dark - she's not only found an incredible and in many ways unbelieveable little corner of Australian history, but in her telling of it she's breathed life into the characters, and the setting, and achieved that rare 'time machine' effect.
Well worth a visit.
In any case, the point is that not only does she write historical fiction, but she writes it beautifully. Reading her books is reading the work of a true craftsperson - her dedication to her art is evident in every carefully chosen word, and every perfectly constructed sentence. For me, the difficult part about historical fiction isn't so much finding material to write about - the past is just loaded with tiny and intriguing little cul-de-sac's of narrative just begging to be explored - but making the past come to life; getting all the tiny details and elements correct, but also writing in such a way as to capture the sensory aspects of a time and place which I can have no direct experience of.
And that's exactly what she's done with India Dark - she's not only found an incredible and in many ways unbelieveable little corner of Australian history, but in her telling of it she's breathed life into the characters, and the setting, and achieved that rare 'time machine' effect.
Well worth a visit.
October 24, 2015
I picked this book up at a library after seeing a 'Read Me' sign stuck in it. It came with a review from TheBookAddictedGirl and I couldn't resist. It sounded terribly interesting (and it turns out that it was!)
From my own research, Murray appeared to do a decent job of telling the story of a true event. It turned out to be a lot more brutal than I expected. For some, the topics may be triggering; child abuse, rape, violence. It focuses mainly on our two heroines, Tilly and Poesy, telling the story of their time with the Lilliputians (an Australian child performers group) and discovering a world outside of Melbourne, Australia.
For me personally, I could relate to the struggles that Poesy had when trying to make sense of the world. Politics, race, sex, money, none of it makes sense to her and I felt I was a bit like that at her age. Despite growing up in a very different time to her, I feel these are topics we can all struggle with as teenagers and young adults, regardless of where we're from or what year it is.
Once again it was exciting to read a book set in Melbourne (or at least started off in Melbourne) and recognizing all of the places mentioned (but trying to imagine what they looked like during the early 1900's). I wish I'd had more time to read this so that I could have devoured it quicker!
From my own research, Murray appeared to do a decent job of telling the story of a true event. It turned out to be a lot more brutal than I expected. For some, the topics may be triggering; child abuse, rape, violence. It focuses mainly on our two heroines, Tilly and Poesy, telling the story of their time with the Lilliputians (an Australian child performers group) and discovering a world outside of Melbourne, Australia.
For me personally, I could relate to the struggles that Poesy had when trying to make sense of the world. Politics, race, sex, money, none of it makes sense to her and I felt I was a bit like that at her age. Despite growing up in a very different time to her, I feel these are topics we can all struggle with as teenagers and young adults, regardless of where we're from or what year it is.
Once again it was exciting to read a book set in Melbourne (or at least started off in Melbourne) and recognizing all of the places mentioned (but trying to imagine what they looked like during the early 1900's). I wish I'd had more time to read this so that I could have devoured it quicker!
December 23, 2013
India dark is a nice little novel set in a historical setting which was an engaging read and would be perfect to give youngsters a real feel for the British Empire around the turn of the century.
The story follows Poesy and Tilly two girls who are part of a travelling act who are enroute to America performing along the way to any audience that will have them.
The thing I really enjoyed about this book the most was that you got a real sense of period from it and a real feeling of life in the far reaches of the British Empire at the turn of the century. I loved the bit where the cholera outbreaks came along and the feeling of sheer helplessness that ensued in that time as they really didn't know to do to sort it.
The main storyline when the scandal hits the troop is really interesting and got me thinking when you saw the way in which it was dealt with.
I must say the only thing I didn't like about this boko was the split narrative because I felt the two girl's voice's weren't distinctive enough which meant I lost track of who I was listening to which was very confusing.
All in all a satisfying little read which was enjoyable and interesting.
The story follows Poesy and Tilly two girls who are part of a travelling act who are enroute to America performing along the way to any audience that will have them.
The thing I really enjoyed about this book the most was that you got a real sense of period from it and a real feeling of life in the far reaches of the British Empire at the turn of the century. I loved the bit where the cholera outbreaks came along and the feeling of sheer helplessness that ensued in that time as they really didn't know to do to sort it.
The main storyline when the scandal hits the troop is really interesting and got me thinking when you saw the way in which it was dealt with.
I must say the only thing I didn't like about this boko was the split narrative because I felt the two girl's voice's weren't distinctive enough which meant I lost track of who I was listening to which was very confusing.
All in all a satisfying little read which was enjoyable and interesting.
July 25, 2011
Based on the amazing Lilliputian opera company of the late 1800's and early 1900's, whcih toured a group of children who performed reviews for the public. In 1909, the company toured to Asia and India, in what was to be its last ever tour. This fictional version tells the story of Poesy and Tilly, who write alternate chapters. Both girls view events from quite different perspectives, Poesy as quite timid, but sly, and Tilly as quite forthright. I found the characterisation of Poesy to be stilted. She seemed just a cipher introduced to provide a different viewpoint and to flesh out more of the story. By the end, when she is writing as an adult and reflecting on the past events, she seemed such a different character that I couldn't believe they were really meant to be the same person. Details surrounding the tour were fascinating, but the execution of the actual story could have been tighter.
August 20, 2012
India Dark is a fictional account of a true story of a company called Pollard’s Liliputian Opera Company in Australia. This company did some great tours of the world. The novel is based on its last fateful tour when everything fell apart. What makes the novel interesting is that it has been written from the perspective of two little girls Poesy and Matilda of how they see the events unfold in front of their eyes and what role they play in the eventual closure of the company. The author admits in the end that lot of it has been fiction as its never possible to get into the minds of kids. But nevertheless the writing style makes the events so lively that you cant imagine any other way the story could have happened.
May 5, 2013
Very nearly four stars, this ran out of steam a bit at the end - the beginning set up a real anticipation for the climactic court scene, but it fizzled a little bit. Otherwise this was great fun, with two splendidly unreliable narrators recounting a nightmarish theatrical tour of the East in 1909. The cover art is glorious too.
October 1, 2015
Kirsty Murray's forte is historical fiction that touches on Australia's everyday forgotten past. This novel has been meticulously researched, and its atmospheric tone underpins a narrative of strained relationships, rumours and cultural conditioning told from the point of view of two girls exploited by child labour, Tilly and Poesy.
April 7, 2012
Australian author, story (based on real events and characters) begins in Australia in the early 1900s. Rather bleak story, told in alternating fashion by two young girls, about life in a travelling troupe and their lack of rights.
November 1, 2012
this book takes me on a eventful journey across India. so many different things happen across this book all the time. the only things that i regret about this book is that in the end she does not end up with the magician but some other which is a shame
May 22, 2013
An interesting read! A troupe of interesting characters and wonderful settings. The only read problem with this book for me was the conclusion - I personally feel the "what happened afterwards" chapter was disappointing, but interesting at the same time. Overall, great and would recommend this!
February 24, 2016
Set in the 1880s about a troop of children and teenagers who travel the world entertaining people with song and dance shows. Disasters and secrets are part of this story which is an insight into a world that did exist at that time.
October 6, 2010
this is the best book ever totally amazing
December 6, 2010
Great story based on true events.
Want to read
April 25, 2012based on a true story
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/conten...
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/conten...
November 13, 2013
Based on a true story, which is what made it interesting to me. The book itself was ok, but got a little tedious.
November 26, 2013
I really didn't care for it. I thought a little more highly of it after I found out that it was based on a true story...
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