Based on the remarkable true story of Irish convict John Graham, WHITE SPIRIT is an epic historical adventure set in 19th Century Australia.
After escaping from the notorious Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, Graham finds refuge with the Kabi, a tribe of Aborigines who eventually accept him as one of their own.
Attempts to recapture Graham are orchestrated by a variety of contrasting characters working for the all-pervasive British Empire. They include Moreton Bay's tyrannical, opium-addicted commandant Lord Cheetham, the dashing yet warlike Lieutenant Hogan, native tracker Barega and the penal settlement's captain, Tom Marsden.
Marsden's young daughter Helen, a progressive lady ahead of her time who is both an egalitarian and a feminist, boldly inserts herself into the clash between the Irish convict, her father and Moreton Bay's other iron-fisted rulers. Helen complicates things further when she finds herself in a Pride and Prejudice-style love triangle with men on opposite sides of the conflict.
When Scottish woman Eliza Fraser is found shipwrecked and close to death in Kabi territory, Graham and his legion of pursuers, as well as the Irishman's adopted Aboriginal family, are all forced to navigate a multi-faceted rescue mission. The precarious rendezvous is made all the more dangerous by Helen Marsden's ethically-driven meddling that often outwits the men involved.
WHITE SPIRIT is our latest historical adventure novel, having been published just this week (mid-September, 2016) so it is still too early to assess sales or future sales. Certainly, the launch went well, and reader interest is high. If it is half as successful as Into the Americas, our previous historical adventure novel, we will be very happy.
Though WHITE SPIRIT is first and foremost a novel and therefore a work of fiction, many of the adventures described herein happened - exactly as related in some cases, and with some embellishments for drama's sake in others. In reality, John Graham's story was so unbelievably remarkable it needn't have been dramatized. However, as novelists, we couldn't resist expanding upon and adding characters to certain true-life events. The great challenge, of course, was the need to always stay true to the broad historical realities while subtly infusing "fiction".
The overpowering stench of urine and shit combined with the ever-present bilge water that sloshed about in the bottom of the hold was all pervasive. An outbreak of dysentery early in the voyage had swept through the vessel, affecting convicts, guards and crew alike, adding to the misery of all.
Not all the convicts had survived the voyage. One, a sickly young man from Belfast, had succumbed to pneumonia. His body had been unceremoniously dumped at sea two days earlier. And several others were critically ill. Their condition wasn’t helped any by the fact there was no doctor or even any rudimentary medical facilities on board.
Harsh though this voyage was, it was nothing compared to the three or four-month journeys these convicts had originally endured out from England. In some cases, fatalities had been as high as forty per cent, and on one ship fatalities had topped sixty per cent.
Two survivors of that hellish voyage aboard the most notorious of prison ships were now aboard the Hoogley. Twenty-eight-year-old John Graham and the slightly younger Noel Thomas whose date of birth was unknown – unknown to Noel at least – were chained together toward the rear of the hold. Originally from Dundalk, in County Louth, Ireland, they were boyhood friends. The former had been sentenced to seven years’ transportation to Australia for stealing ten pounds from a shady employer he alleged hadn’t paid him, while the latter – hackneyed though it may sound – had been sentenced to five years for stealing a loaf of bread.
The two friends were a study in contrasts. John was broad-shouldered and taller than most of his companions, and certainly better looking. His unruly black, shoulder-length hair framed a pale but interesting face that women invariably found attractive. What really set him apart, however, was his startling blue eyes. Ever-alert, they missed nothing.
| Language | Status |
|---|---|
|
Chinese
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
|
Danish
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
|
Icelandic
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
|
Italian
|
Already translated.
Translated by Elisa Besana
|
|
|
Author review: Elisa is an exceptional translator and I have no hesitation in recommending her to fellow authors and indie publishers. She is very professional in her approach and very obliging. Highly recommended! |
|
Japanese
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
|
Norwegian
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
|
Swedish
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
|
Turkish
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
