It wasn’t until after I read this book that I became aware of the Eureka rebellion. The story of the Eureka Stockade is sadly familiar and consistent with the effects of colonisation world-wide. We have so much in history to be proud of, yet there is so much to regret too. We cannot change the past, but we can change the future. Together.
If you’d like to know more about Eureka and colonisation, you can find more on it here: Australians Together and The Gold Story
The Girl From Eureka by Cheryl Adnams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hugely different from her contemporary novels, Ms Adnams takes us on a journey back in time to the goldfields of Victoria and a camp called Eureka. There we meet the spirited Indy, a girl who doesn’t take life lying down, and British soldier, Will. Their story is energetic, tumultuous and filled with the horrors that faced miners back in the gold rush. An exciting insight into the history of Australia and the trials that faced the early settlers, and indigenous people, that shaped the country into what it is today. I’m enjoying this new sub-genre that explores more of Australian history, told by proud Australian authors.
The Girl from Eureka
On the sun-drenched goldfields of Eureka, a wild colonial girl and an honour-bound soldier will break all the rules to claim a love worth more than gold …
Ballarat, Australia 1854
Gold miner Indy Wallace wants nothing more than to dig up enough gold to give her mother an easier life. Wild and reckless, and in trouble more often than not, Indy finds herself falling for handsome, chivalrous, British Army Lieutenant Will Marsh. But in the eyes of immigrant miners, soldiers are the enemy.
Will has been posted to Ballarat with a large contingent of Her Majesty’s Army to protect the Crown gold and keep the peace. But once he meets rebellious Indy, he doubts he’ll ever be at peace again. As Will and Indy’s attraction grows, their loyalties are tested when the unrest between miners and the military reaches breaking point.
On opposite sides of the escalating conflict, can their love survive their battle of ideals? And will any of them survive the battle of the Eureka Stockade?
Small Town Fiction 