Fortune’s Son
Jennifer Scoullar
Penguin Books Australia
Michael Joseph
ISBN: 9780143783527
Description:
An Australian historical saga that will appeal to readers of Bryce Courtenay and Judy Nunn
Can one man’s revenge become his redemption?
Young Luke Tyler has everything going for him: brains, looks and a larrikin charm that turns heads. The future appears bright, until he defends his sister from the powerful Sir Henry Abbot. His reward is fifteen years hard labour on a prison farm in Tasmania’s remote highlands.
Luke escapes, finding sanctuary with a local philanthropist, Daniel Campbell, and starts a forbidden relationship with Daniel’s daughter, Belle. But when Luke is betrayed, he must flee or be hanged.
With all seeming lost, Luke sails to South Africa to start afresh. Yet he remains haunted by the past, and by Belle, the woman he can’t forget. When he returns to seek revenge and reclaim his life, his actions will have shattering consequences – for the innocent as well as the guilty.
Set against a backdrop of wild Tasmania, Australian gold and African diamonds, Fortune’s Son is an epic story of betrayal, love and one man’s struggle to triumph over adversity and find his way home.
My View:
Jennifer Scoullar has recorded a new milestone – she has established herself as a writer of historical fiction with the publication of Fortune’s Son. But do not fret those who have loved Jennifer’s previous works, with their environmental elements, their salute to the Australian bush and its wildlife and settings so vivid you can see them in your mind’s eye – all these elements are still woven into this multi layered, historical family saga.
What a delightful way to discover aspects of Australia’s colonial past and landscapes; convict labour, gold discoveries, mining, culture of the times, women’s rights, environmental issues teamed with an engaging narrative…so much to be discovered within the covers of this book. Do I “see” a film or tv series here – yes I think so 🙂
Reading, Writing and Riesling 
Totally agree with you Carol – I do hope someone out there in TV land reads this and takes the plunge! Went to Jennifer’s launch last week and had the pleasure of also having dinner with her afterwards – a very much underrated author and such a humble person 😀
Sounds like you had s great evening Janine!
You had me at the Tasmania setting, Carol. I don’t know enough about the history of that state. And the story itself sounds absorbing, too. I always like it when novels bring history down to the individual, human, level, if that makes sense.
This for me is the best way of getting a meaningful glimpse of history.
The setting sounds beautiful!
Tasmania has a unique landscape- one day we will get the chance to explore the region ourselves.