Australian author Heather Rose fascinates me. Each novel is so different, as she writes across genres - literary fiction, crime thriller, political satire, fable. Her latest novel, A Great Act of Love (2025) is a work of historical fiction.
The story centres around Caroline Colbert, the daughter of Hannah and Jacques-Louis Colbert, who was raised in Britain. Pere Colbert was an aristocrat forced to flee France during the Revolution. Upon arrival in Scotland, he works in an apothecary. Here, young Caroline learns about tinctures and elixirs to cure all sorts of ailments. The family later moves to London and establishes their own store. When her mother passes and her father suffers a major blow, Caroline's aunt, Tante Henriette, teaches her to become a fingersmith, stealing small valuables and fencing them to survive. But this is no way to live, and Caroline must find her way in the world.
Caroline's father is arrested and sentenced for transportation to Norfolk Island. Caroline is doubtful she will see her father again, but is determined to be reunited. There is nothing left for her in England, so she reinvents herself as Mrs Caroline Douglas, a young widow, and pays for passage to Van Diemen's Land.
Upon arrival in the colony in 1839, Caroline secures a small patch of land and works to revive the vineyard on the property. She seeks to remain discreet, outside of the Hobart gossip circles. She keeps her investments hidden and begins to work the land. Caroline has many secrets in this new place, and fears exposure. But she soon finds friends and confidants who will assist her in her great act of love.I really enjoyed this novel. The characters are fascinating and I was full of admiration for Caroline - she is smart, determined and kind. She brings Quill, Bessie, and Cornelius into her circle, becoming a family with those who have lost theirs.
Heather Rose has crafted this tale of redemption in an interesting manner. The main thread of the story is about Caroline establishing herself in this harsh new world. This is interspersed with chapters which fill in the backstory of the various characters.
Rose does not shy away from the harshness and cruelty of the colony: dispossession and murder of the First Nations people; enslavement and brutality to the convicts; stripping the land and destroying the habitat of native animals. Yet this is not so off-putting as to distract from the tale. The novel is rich with historical detail, which transports the reader into this engrossing story.
Later this month I will be attending a session with Heather Rose at the Sydney Writers' Festival where she will talk about this novel. I understand the idea came to her from a loose strand of her own family history so I am keen to hear more about how she wrote this novel.
My reviews of other novels by Heather Rose are available on this blog: