Book Synopsis:
A tale of two very different sisters whose 1890s voyage from London into remote outback Australia becomes a journey of self-discovery, set against a landscape of wild beauty and savage dispossession. London in 1891: Harriet Cameron is a talented young artist whose mother died when she was barely five. She and her beloved sister Sarah were brought up by their father, radical thinker James Cameron. After adventurer Henry Vincent arrives on the scene, the sisters’ lives are changed forever. Sarah, the beauty of the family, marries Henry and embarks on a voyage to Australia. Harriet, intensely missing Sarah, must decide whether to help her father with his life’s work or to devote herself to painting. When James Cameron dies unexpectedly, Harriet is overwhelmed by grief. Seeking distraction, she follows Sarah to Australia, and afterwards into the outback, where she is alienated by the casual violence and great injustices of outback life. Her rejuvenation begins with her friendship with an Aboriginal stockman and her growing love for the landscape. But this fragile happiness is soon threatened by murders at a nearby cattle station and by a menacing station hand who is seeking revenge.
The Philosopher’s Daughter is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
This was a beautifully written, immersive piece of historical fiction set in Australia. I’ve always loved books set in Australia, I think maybe because the landscape is so different to what we know in the UK that makes the a story seem so much more wild and unexpected.
The story follows two sisters Sarah and Harriet as they leave England to start a new life in Australia. It was so good to follow them on their journey and to live precariously through them as they start their new life, especially as moving to a new country has always been a bit of a fantasy of mine. There was obviously a stark difference between their old and new life which was interesting to see, especially when their old activities like sewing were done in their new environment as it just seemed wrong somehow.
The author does a great job of setting the scene with the vivid descriptions of the harshly beautiful Australian landscape helping transport the reader into the book. The treatment of the Aboriginal workers made for very hard reading at times as I couldn’t believe that they were treated like that. The sister’s positive attitude towards them was lovely to read about and helped me warm toward them.
This isn’t particularly a fast paced book but the story is still so interesting and the descriptions so vivid that I soon found myself getting lost in the story. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’d definitely like to read more from her in the future.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Red Door for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Alison Booth was born in Melbourne, brought up in Sydney and has worked in the UK and in Australia as a professor as well as a novelist. Her most recent novel, A Perfect Marriage, is in the genre of contemporary fiction, while her first three novels (Stillwater Creek, The Indigo Sky, and A Distant Land) are historical fiction spanning the decades 1950s through to the early 1970s. Alison’s work has been translated into French and has also been published by Reader’s Digest Select Editions in both Asia and Europe. Alison, who holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics, is an active public speaker and has participated in many writers’ festivals and literary events. http:// http://www.alisonbooth.net and https:// http://www.facebook.com/AlisonBoothAuthor/
Over The Rainbow Blog 
Huge thanks for the blog tour support x
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