Review: Beautiful Australian historical
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 22, 2013
A wonderful Australian historical romance set between Sydney and the country town of Wollombi. Kit Matcham has spent the past few years travelling and enjoying life as a carefree bachelor. But with the death of his stepfather, he must take on management of the family property and responsibility for his mother and two stepsisters. Matilda Sweet is in need of paid work to save her father's land from repossession. Kit is immediately drawn to the bright, unconventional young woman who delights his sense of adventure when she rides in men's breeches rather than a woman's riding habit. He offers her a position as companion to his sisters. Social conventions are turned on their head when Matilda moves into the family property and Kit's mother is threatened by her son's attraction to the daughter of a convict. Unfortunately Matilda's naive hope that her growing feelings for Kit might lead to marriage is trampled when he announces he is returning to Sydney to collect his bride.This story is filled with colourful, three dimensional characters who draw the reader into their roller coaster emotions and complex responses. Even secondary characters like the silent and taciturn Aborigine, Jem are intriguing. The setting is so vividly described you know the author has personally wandered this bushland, travelled the roads and crossed the rivers depicted in her novel. Her story pulls at the heart strings and you find yourself wanting to grab Kit and his mother and shake them by the shoulders until they see sense. A wonderful, rollicking tale and in keeping with everything else I have read from Tea Cooper.