In
the first book of Beth Camp’s series on the McDonnell clan, we get to meet the
whole family. I don’t want to tell you how that book ends, but I will say that
you want to read more about these people. In book two, “Years of Stone”, Beth focuses
in on two characters, Mac the head of the clan, and Deidre, the woman who loves
him and puts everything on the line for him. And I mean everything. She is one
dedicated chick. She will stop at nothing to keep Mac in her life, but along
the way, she remains compassionate to everyone she runs into, helping them
whenever she can.
Meanwhile,
Mac is trying the best that he can to survive the harshest of conditions living
as a convict in Tasmania of 1842. I think it is rather crazy that anyone
thought it was worth the money to ship all these convicts from Britain,
Scotland and the like, but that is what they did, and that is how Tasmania, and
Australia as well, became countries. I found it fascinating, so I did some of
my own research. Not that I was questioning Beth, but like I said, I was
fascinated.
But
I needn’t have gone searching for more information. Everything there is to know
about this time in the struggling formation of Tasmania – called Van Diemen’s
Land at the time – is in Beth’s book. It’s wonderful the way she was able to weave
so many facts into her story without the reader realizing it.
I
cannot wait for Beth’s next book, to hear how several more members of the
family are faring.
1 comment:
Oh Chris this sounds interesting! I've always held a curiosity about this time period and how the prisnors and their lives turned out. Nice book report! I'm closing out my book give away tomorrow on Inkyquillbysuzie. :) It was wonderful to see you at the conference! :)
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