The Talented Mrs Greenway
Tea Cooper
Reviewed by Helen
This is a brilliant story, filled with wonderful characters, and so much Australian history as Tea Cooper brings to life the wife of colonial architect Francis Greenway, Mary Greenway, this was just about a on sitting read for me I could barely put it down, I loved it.
Mary arrives in Sydney Town in 1814 with her three sons, she has followed her husband Francis after he is sent as a convict for forgery, she has little money and has not heard from Francis since he arrived, she is worried about the future but determined to start a new life, she has been through enough with her terrible first husband. She is beyond thrilled when Francis meets them at the cove and tells her that he has been asked to design some buildings for the colony.
Mary settles in the house in George St and Francis has been appointed as civil architect and it is not long before she meets Elizabeth Macquarie, wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie who encourages Mary to take more of an interest in her husband’s designs after looking through Mary’s portfolio of drawings, Lachlan Macquarie is soon authorizing the plans for a lot of building work around town, that still stand in Sydney today.
Mary works hard with Francis but there must be secrets kept no one must know how much she does and the help that they received to be in this position, life is moving ahead and Mary and Francis’s family is growing and Mary has plans for the future, plans that will help a lot of young girls.
Life in the colony is changing with a new governor appointed and the pressure is on for Francis and Mary but her strength and determination will pull her through the tough times. Tea Cooper is one of my must read authors and this book is another keeper, this really is a beautifully told story, I did know some things about Francis Greenway but not anything about his wife and I am very glad I got to know her and read this one.
I do highly recommend this story, it really is fabulous, and you will not want to put it down once you have picked it up.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
Mary arrives in Sydney Town in 1814 with her three sons, she has followed her husband Francis after he is sent as a convict for forgery, she has little money and has not heard from Francis since he arrived, she is worried about the future but determined to start a new life, she has been through enough with her terrible first husband. She is beyond thrilled when Francis meets them at the cove and tells her that he has been asked to design some buildings for the colony.
Mary settles in the house in George St and Francis has been appointed as civil architect and it is not long before she meets Elizabeth Macquarie, wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie who encourages Mary to take more of an interest in her husband’s designs after looking through Mary’s portfolio of drawings, Lachlan Macquarie is soon authorizing the plans for a lot of building work around town, that still stand in Sydney today.
Mary works hard with Francis but there must be secrets kept no one must know how much she does and the help that they received to be in this position, life is moving ahead and Mary and Francis’s family is growing and Mary has plans for the future, plans that will help a lot of young girls.
Life in the colony is changing with a new governor appointed and the pressure is on for Francis and Mary but her strength and determination will pull her through the tough times. Tea Cooper is one of my must read authors and this book is another keeper, this really is a beautifully told story, I did know some things about Francis Greenway but not anything about his wife and I am very glad I got to know her and read this one.
I do highly recommend this story, it really is fabulous, and you will not want to put it down once you have picked it up.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
5 stars
November 1, 2023 by HQ Fiction
