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amotisse's review
4.0
I enjoyed revisiting the colourful characters of Maiden's Creek. An interesting imagining of life on the goldfields.
nicmacc's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this. A wonderful historical tale with elements of fact sprinked in! Read the epilogue at the end. Will be seeking out more stories from Alison Stuart for sure.
mandylovestoread's review
4.0
I have recently discovered historical fiction, and found that I really enjoy it. Especially stories set in Australia. The Gold Miner's Sister was a wonderful story that had me transported back to 1873 rural Victoria. Alison Stuart brought the gold mining town of Maiden's Creek to life with her vibrant characters and descriptions of the beautiful landscapes. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the past.
Eliza Penrose has travelled from England to see her brother Will after 5 long years. Only when she arrives things are not as she expected them to be. What she finds is a town full of secrets, betrayal and lies. Alec McLeod is also new to town, travelling from Scotland after losing his wife and daughter. His heart is broken and he vows to never give it away again.
There is romance, there is action and there is struggle. Being a woman in 1873 was not easy, thankfully we have come along way in changing things. Stories and characters in this book are based on reality. Fans of this genre will love it.
Thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
Eliza Penrose has travelled from England to see her brother Will after 5 long years. Only when she arrives things are not as she expected them to be. What she finds is a town full of secrets, betrayal and lies. Alec McLeod is also new to town, travelling from Scotland after losing his wife and daughter. His heart is broken and he vows to never give it away again.
There is romance, there is action and there is struggle. Being a woman in 1873 was not easy, thankfully we have come along way in changing things. Stories and characters in this book are based on reality. Fans of this genre will love it.
Thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Out of the way, woman!’
June, 1873. After travelling from England, Eliza Penrose has arrived in the goldmining town of Maiden’s Creek, Victoria. She’s looking to start a new life with her brother, William, whom she’s not seen for five years. But Will does not turn up to meet her, and when she arrives at her uncle Charles Cowper’s home, she discovers why.
Alec McLeod is a mining engineer who came from Scotland to try to escape the memory of his dead wife and child. He’s determined to never fall in love again, despite the best efforts of the single women of Maiden’s Creek.
After their inauspicious first meeting, Alec and Eliza are thrown together. There are dangerous work practices at the Maiden’s Creek Mine, and lives are endangered. There are secrets to be uncovered, and the closer Alec and Eliza get to the truth, the more care they need to take.
I really enjoyed this novel. It is set two years later (and in the same town) as ‘The Postmistress’. Ms Stuart brings her characters to life and doesn’t shy away from demonstrating the hardships of life on the goldfields, especially for women and children. There’s action and romance, and a cast of well-developed minor characters as well.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
June, 1873. After travelling from England, Eliza Penrose has arrived in the goldmining town of Maiden’s Creek, Victoria. She’s looking to start a new life with her brother, William, whom she’s not seen for five years. But Will does not turn up to meet her, and when she arrives at her uncle Charles Cowper’s home, she discovers why.
Alec McLeod is a mining engineer who came from Scotland to try to escape the memory of his dead wife and child. He’s determined to never fall in love again, despite the best efforts of the single women of Maiden’s Creek.
After their inauspicious first meeting, Alec and Eliza are thrown together. There are dangerous work practices at the Maiden’s Creek Mine, and lives are endangered. There are secrets to be uncovered, and the closer Alec and Eliza get to the truth, the more care they need to take.
I really enjoyed this novel. It is set two years later (and in the same town) as ‘The Postmistress’. Ms Stuart brings her characters to life and doesn’t shy away from demonstrating the hardships of life on the goldfields, especially for women and children. There’s action and romance, and a cast of well-developed minor characters as well.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
sarjanie's review against another edition
3.0
Set in the 1800s in the goldfields of Australia, this historical fiction novel is perfect for a moment of escapism. Eliza Penrose travels to Australia to join her brother in making a new life for themselves in the prosperous gold mining town of Maidens Creek. But tragedy has struck and all is not as it seems in the place Eliza now must call home.
I don’t typically gravitate towards Aussie historical fiction, I prefer the whimsical feeling of stories set in countries that seem far from this big island of ours. But, I did enjoy the story. The authors note states the people and places are loosely based on real locations which I always like to imagine is the case with historical fiction. I only rated it 3 stars because I think if I’d read it, rather than listened to it, I would not have been compelled to finish it. My attachment to the characters just wasn’t there.
I don’t typically gravitate towards Aussie historical fiction, I prefer the whimsical feeling of stories set in countries that seem far from this big island of ours. But, I did enjoy the story. The authors note states the people and places are loosely based on real locations which I always like to imagine is the case with historical fiction. I only rated it 3 stars because I think if I’d read it, rather than listened to it, I would not have been compelled to finish it. My attachment to the characters just wasn’t there.
paddlefoot55's review
4.0
ARC received from Harlequin/Mira Australia for an honest review
I have lost a bit of my reading mojo lately, however when I picked up The Goldminer's Sister, it was back with a vengeance baby!
Australian historicals have been my jam the last 6 - 12 months. Alison Stuart is a new to me author, however after reading this story, I will be searching out more in the future.
Eliza is the kind of woman I want to be when I grow up. She doesn't need a man to look after her. She is strong. She is feisty. She will fight for the truth and for what is hers.
I was transported to the Victorian goldfields the minute I opened The Goldminer's Sister. Hot, dusty and dangerous, so different from my world and Eliza's world in the UK. Ms Stuart has written wonderfully colourful characters and locations that leap off the page. I could almost hear and smell the town of Maiden's Creek (though I am sure the smell would not be such a good thing!).
I couldn't help but fall in love with Eliza and Alec as they deal with all that is happening around the - and to them.
Alec is the gruff kind of man that calls to me. I need to find an Alec for myself.
I was enthralled with this tale. Every time I put the book down, I found myself eyeing it beside me, and in the end I just had to read it all at one.
I look forward to what Ms Stuart brings us in the future.
I have lost a bit of my reading mojo lately, however when I picked up The Goldminer's Sister, it was back with a vengeance baby!
Australian historicals have been my jam the last 6 - 12 months. Alison Stuart is a new to me author, however after reading this story, I will be searching out more in the future.
Eliza is the kind of woman I want to be when I grow up. She doesn't need a man to look after her. She is strong. She is feisty. She will fight for the truth and for what is hers.
I was transported to the Victorian goldfields the minute I opened The Goldminer's Sister. Hot, dusty and dangerous, so different from my world and Eliza's world in the UK. Ms Stuart has written wonderfully colourful characters and locations that leap off the page. I could almost hear and smell the town of Maiden's Creek (though I am sure the smell would not be such a good thing!).
I couldn't help but fall in love with Eliza and Alec as they deal with all that is happening around the - and to them.
Alec is the gruff kind of man that calls to me. I need to find an Alec for myself.
I was enthralled with this tale. Every time I put the book down, I found myself eyeing it beside me, and in the end I just had to read it all at one.
I look forward to what Ms Stuart brings us in the future.
rhodaj's review
4.0
Thank you @harlequinaus and @romanceanz for sending me a copy of this book in my #ReadThroughCovid19 box of books!
In 1873, Eliza arrives from England to meet her brother in the Victorian gold mining town of Maiden’s Creek, however when she arrives there it is to find a tragic mystery.....however the circumstances seem normal to everyone but Eliza, who decides she needs to dig a little deeper....and is shocked by what she discovers.
The author explains at the end in the author’s notes that she based Maiden’s Creek on Walhalla - a town I’ve been to. The author vividly captures the town, the landscape and life in a small mining community and I felt quite immersed in the 1870’s!
The characters were well developed and overall it was a great book to spend some cold wintery days with, despite some of the storyline being a tad predictable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
In 1873, Eliza arrives from England to meet her brother in the Victorian gold mining town of Maiden’s Creek, however when she arrives there it is to find a tragic mystery.....however the circumstances seem normal to everyone but Eliza, who decides she needs to dig a little deeper....and is shocked by what she discovers.
The author explains at the end in the author’s notes that she based Maiden’s Creek on Walhalla - a town I’ve been to. The author vividly captures the town, the landscape and life in a small mining community and I felt quite immersed in the 1870’s!
The characters were well developed and overall it was a great book to spend some cold wintery days with, despite some of the storyline being a tad predictable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
gravitypulledemmy's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
margreads's review
5.0
In the 1850's gold was discovered in various places in Victoria. People left their homes to try their chances to find gold, to set themselves up for life on the basis of that one big find. And if that big find doesn't come today, then it will come tomorrow, or the day after, or when you move to a new mine. Even today, there are people who spend their lives either fossicking in the hope of finding a nugget, or doing large scale mechanical mining in the wilds of places like Alaska. Gold fever! And when you find that big nugget of gold, or hit that seam of gold inside a mountain, then what else is there but to shout Eureka!!
This book takes place a couple of decades later in the 1870's in a fictional town called Maiden's Creek in the north of Victoria. There is no alluvial gold left, but there is underground mining and if you can hit the right seam, there is money to be made, for the owners and the shareholders, and livings made by the hardworking miners.
Eliza Penrose comes to Australia after receiving a letter from her brother to say that he believed that he was on the verge of discovering something big, and when he does, he will no longer be beholden to his uncle who runs the mine at Maidens Creek. Her brother has struck out on his own, and is starting his own mine which looks very promising.
Her heart is soon to be broken as she realises that far from the chance of a new life, she is once again to suffer a bereavement and she is even more alone than before. Her brother has died, leaving most of his estate to his uncle. There are however things that just don't add up about Will's death and it isn't long before she becomes suspicious. While Eliza does have some possibilities of working as a teacher, it isn't that easy to break into the tight knit community, especially when there are inbuilt prejudices against women in such roles.
To read more head to
http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2020/07/the-goldminers-sister-by-alison-stuart.html
This book takes place a couple of decades later in the 1870's in a fictional town called Maiden's Creek in the north of Victoria. There is no alluvial gold left, but there is underground mining and if you can hit the right seam, there is money to be made, for the owners and the shareholders, and livings made by the hardworking miners.
Eliza Penrose comes to Australia after receiving a letter from her brother to say that he believed that he was on the verge of discovering something big, and when he does, he will no longer be beholden to his uncle who runs the mine at Maidens Creek. Her brother has struck out on his own, and is starting his own mine which looks very promising.
Her heart is soon to be broken as she realises that far from the chance of a new life, she is once again to suffer a bereavement and she is even more alone than before. Her brother has died, leaving most of his estate to his uncle. There are however things that just don't add up about Will's death and it isn't long before she becomes suspicious. While Eliza does have some possibilities of working as a teacher, it isn't that easy to break into the tight knit community, especially when there are inbuilt prejudices against women in such roles.
To read more head to
http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2020/07/the-goldminers-sister-by-alison-stuart.html
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