Booker Prize Shortlist 2006

From the back cover:
London, 1806. William Thornhill, a Thames bargeman, is deported to the New South Wales colony in what would become Australia. In this new world of convicts and charlatans, Thornhill tries to pull his family into a position of power and comfort. When he rounds a bend in the Hawkesbury River and sees a gentle slope of land, he becomes determined to make the place his own. But, as uninhabited as the island appears, Australia is full of native people, and they do not take kindly to Thornhill's theft of their home.

... and my opinion:
a beautifully and vividly written book, that touched my heart. very well-crafted, how Kate Grenville shows the Will´s ambiguity how he handels the situation. Certainly I like Sal best, her loyalty and her love to Will, how she incorporates the importance of place and home. This is an important book for Australians, both ancestors and Aboriginals, and I hope it will help both sides in its own way.

part of the Booker Prize Roundabout Shortlist 2006 Roundabout:
1.) Mondstina
2.) pustefix
3.) CaptainCarrot
4.) juvi
5.) urfin
-> Sternschnuppe28

RELEASE NOTES:

finally on its way to Mondstina

Huch, dieses Buch hatte ich jetzt gar nicht erwartet ;))
5.3. Tut mir wirklich leid, dass das Buch immer noch bei mir ist! Ich werde mich bemühen, es fertig zu lesen und dann weiter zu schicken!!!
8.4.: I finally read the book now. I'm really sorry it took me so long... The first parts of the books were somehow really hard for me to read and understand. I kind of waited for the real task to step to the plot. After their landing in New South Wales the book started to be really interesting and altough I also had problems to understand everything here, I didn't mind that. I wanted to know how the conflict(s) could be solved, and yes, then the book touched my heart. Especially the relationship between the couple was described in detail, gestures, mimic, memories- very nice!

In my opinion the first parts of the book aren't very good. Ok, the life in London at this time and the circumstances were interesting, but it just went on too long. With the much more "exciting" part together I would give the book 7 points.

Point for Bookcrossing again: I would have probably never read the book without it- Thanks also to Sternschnuppe28!
I'll ask Pustefix for his adress.

6.5. hat sich gestern auf den Weg zu juvi gemacht.

Ist bei mir angekommen, danke! Ich lese allerdings erst noch ein anderes Buch aus dem Roundabout fertig.

I liked this book and think I learned a lot about the history of Australia. Although at the beginning I, like Mondstina, waited for the main part to begin, later I understood that much of the information in the first chapter is important for understanding certain thoughts and behaviours of Sal and Will later in the story. The build-up of the inevitable conflict with the Aborigines and some of the other settlers is enthralling. Most of the time I hoped the Thornhills could find a way out of this conflict that is peaceful and fair, but looking at how history really went on this would not have been realistic.

Urfin will be the next reader.

The book's here. Thanks.
I remember Idea of Perfection, and am looking forward to reading this
but before it must queue behind some Karussels and Abos...
Oh yes, and many thanks for the cool stickers! :o)