Author: Carolly Erickson
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography
Publisher: Trade Paper Books
Book Release Date: 2008
Pages: 252
Source: Personal Collection
Synopsis: On a moonless night in the early 1790s, prisoner Mary Bryant, her husband William, her two small children, and seven other convicts stole a twenty-foot longboat and slipped noiselessly out of Sydney Cove, Australia, eluding their captors.
They sailed north, all the way to Indonesia, traveling some thirty-six hundred treacherous miles in ten weeks—an incredible feat of seamanship. For a time, Mary and her companions were able to convince the local Dutch colonial authorities that they were survivors of a shipwreck, but eventually the truth emerged and they found themselves back in captivity, in irons, on their way to England for execution.
In time, Mary's fateful journey would win her tremendous admiration. A woman once reviled as a criminal would become a London celebrity, ultimately finding forgiveness and freedom.
In The Girl from Botany Bay, distinguished historian and biographer Carolly Erickson tells Mary Bryant's remarkable story at full length for the first time—the story of a woman whose impoverished Cornwall childhood led to a life of outlaw daring and thievery, then to harsh imprisonment and exile. Erickson recounts Mary's bold ventures from her point of view, beginning with her conviction and death sentence for highway robbery. Reprieved, she was sent to New South Wales to serve out her time, one of dozens of female convicts chosen as sexual companions for the hundreds of male convicts destined for settlement in the remote continent of Australia.
From Mary's perilous sea journey to Botany Bay and Sydney Cove, to the inhuman conditions at the penal colony, to the risky escape to the Indonesian island of Timor and the horrors of the sail back to England—during which Mary's husband and two children died of disease—the story is harrowing yet heroic. With the dramatic narrative skill for which she is acclaimed, Erickson brings Mary and her companions to life in compelling detail. All the dangers of seafaring adventure are here: violent storms, near drownings, severe hunger and thirst, and the perils of relentless exposure to sun, wind, and salt spray that left the convicts with their skin scraped raw and their strength leached away.
When she finally landed in England and testified before the magistrate's court, Mary was magnificent in her own defense. No one had the heart to condemn her; had she not, through her suffering, paid for her crimes? Impressed by Mary's sturdy self-possession and courage, lawyer and author James Boswell came to her rescue, ensuring that "the Girl from Botany Bay," as the newspapers called her, was freed and able to begin a new life.
The epic story of Mary Bryant, the brave and resourceful girl from Botany Bay, is compelling narrative nonfiction at its very best.
My Review: The Girl from Botany Bay is a biography of Mary Bryant. She was the most successful convict to escape the Australian penal colony. There have been numerous movies, television series, and plays on her. In this biography, Mary Bryant’s name was originally Mary Broad. She was a highway robber and was sentenced to live in Australia. However, Mary would eventually escape and make her way back to England.
I have never heard of Mary Bryant before. However, I found her to be a very fascinating figure. Mary had suffered much hardship on the journey to Australia. During the journey, Mary had a daughter with a man named Mr. Spence. When Mary arrived, she married a fellow convict and a veteran seaman named William Bryant. The marriage was not serious. She bore him a son named Emmanuel. Together, they planned their escape from Australia. They used a fishing boat and after sixty-nine days, they reached Kupang. Once they reached Kupang, William and Mary had an argument. William then betrayed Mary and was recaptured by the British. Mary’s husband and children died on the way back to Britain. Once Mary arrived in England, her story fascinated the English, especially James Boswell. He helped secure her freedom. Therefore, I could not help but find Mary to be a fascinating and a strong historical figure.
Overall, this was a very comprehensive and engaging biography. I thought that Mrs. Erickson did an excellent job in showing the hardships of living in the penal colony of Australia. There were times that I thought that she speculated a great deal on what Mary Bryant was thinking and feeling. Nevertheless, I still found it to be a very easy and light read! It illuminated my understanding of a historical figure that I knew nothing about. The Girl from Botany Bay was a very thrilling and captivating story! I was entranced by the book from the very first page! I recommend this book for fans of A Cargo of Women, Fair Game, and The Tin Ticket!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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