A Room Made of Leaves - Kate Grenville

 

As with Restless Dolly Maunder I had the sense that Kate Grenville was once again giving voice to another ordinary woman unwilling to be defined by marriage, the age and the culture she was born into. 

John Macarthur is a real historical figure, (I know this because I googled him!) who married Elizabeth Veale a Devonshire  farm lass and relocated to Australia. The story is based on the frank and expansive memoirs of Elizabeth. 

The marriage is not a happy one. Macarthur is a devious and almost vindictive man but both he and Elizabeth forge a marriage that seems to flourish on the outside whilst Elizabeth hides her true feelings. Her husband reads all her outgoing letters so she cannot even confide in her best friend. But where there is a will there is a way and Elizabeth finds outlets and fulfilment of a kind.

John Macarthur gained some attention for being the founder of the Australian wool industry yet the backbone of these achievements were surely down to Elizabeth. 

Structurally the book relies completely on the diary form which as the authors note advises us is constructed from Elizabeth's journal. 

'I've done nothing more than transcribe the papers in the box. Of course, I had to use my imagination where the faded old ink was impossible to read, and I spent considerable time arranging the fragments in what I judged to be the best order, but beyond that I've let Elizabeth Macarthur tell her own story.'

Elizabeth McArthur certainly had a way with words then but I cannot help wondering whether the ink was faded throughout the entire manuscript! 😉 There is an intriguing quotation from Elizabeth Macarthur before the book begins - 'Do not believe too quickly!'  

As one might expect from Kate Grenville the writing is confident and assured. She knows how to tell a story and her research is impeccable. I found myself engaged with Elizabeth but also with the indigenous people of the Antipodes. In fact if I had a criticism of the book I would have liked more of these people and their struggle. The battle of Parramatta is documented and Pemulwuy, the Aboriginal Resistance leader features. But as the story of one woman who makes the best of her situation it is superlative.

My thanks to Canongate Books for my gifted copy.