Maddy’s Reviews > True History of the Kelly Gang > Status Update

A thrilling read, and I'm still trying to force myself to remember it's 1870s Australia and NOT the "Wild West" of the United States. I think there's some gaps in my knowledge as far as understanding some of the sociopolitical commentary, but it's relatively minor compared to most of what's happening.

Now that we're really into Ned's misadventures this is quite engaging. I feel really bad for him, every adult in his life has failed him in some way. He never had a childhood and only ever acted in the interests of his family, often specifically for his mother's interests.

So far so good. Ned's poor grammar and spelling are forcing me to read slower, which is fine. Man, his dad was an asshole - but the townsfolk don't seem much better. I honestly hadn't thought much about Irish immigrants in Australia during the mid- to late-1800s, so I'm curious how realistic this portrayal is. I feel like it might be somewhat dramatized, but is certainly based on some truth.