"The secret river"

It was my turn to host the book club this month. Record turnout tonight with 2 new sisters turning up. We are now up to 11. Up for discussion was "The Secret River" by Kate Grenville. This book is amazing. 5 years in the making, it is thoroughly researched to the point of having a book written about the research itself ("The search for the secret river"). It tells the story of early settlers (convicts) in Sydney and on the shores of the Hawkesbury River. There are some raw parts of the book which deals with the relationship between the new people and the aboriginal people. The imagery of the book is amazing and the characters and landscape described wonderfully.
The discussion was lively as usual, and a great evening had by all. What an amazing collection of women we have in our group, each bringing their experiences, thoughts and insights.
I love the BookWorms!