The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress
Sue Williams
Reviewed by Helen
This was a very interesting read, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the characters from this story Ann Inett, Phillip Gidley King and Anna Josepha, it is a story of hardship, strength and courage as these people start life in a totally different place that they are used to add in relationships and family and this is a compelling read.
Ann Inett is sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay for theft, she must leave behind her two young children, and never knowing if she will see them again, she sets sail with the first fleet it took eight long months to reach Botany Bay, her life of course is going to change forever.
Gidley King sets sail with the first fleet the trip is long and has many problems but many months later they arrive in Port Jackson and the work begins in setting up a new settlement there is a lot to overcome, when Governor Arthur Phillip sends Gidley to Norfolk Island to start another settlement he takes male and female convicts he has his choice of females to be his housekeeper and he chooses Ann Inett and soon she is more than his housekeeper.
Gidley and Ann get on well and soon are the parents of a son, Norfolk soon after Ann becomes pregnant again Gidley is sent back to England with letters and requests to keep the settlements going, sadly Ann does not go with him and gives birth to their second son Sydney, it is eighteen months before Gidley returns and he returns with a wife, Anna Josepha.
It takes some time but the two woman open up to each other and a friendship slowly grows and over the years it becomes very strong, Gidley becomes Governor and the pressure is on everyone to keep the new settlements going there are many hardships and this book shows what they all went through, it really was a hard life.
This is one that I recommend to any lover of Australian history, these characters are part of Australia’s history, the characters are strong and real and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them, Ann Inett and Anna Josepha are both strong and caring woman who lived through tough time’s hardship in a male dominated world but both came out the other side, this is a wonderful story.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
Ann Inett is sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay for theft, she must leave behind her two young children, and never knowing if she will see them again, she sets sail with the first fleet it took eight long months to reach Botany Bay, her life of course is going to change forever.
Gidley King sets sail with the first fleet the trip is long and has many problems but many months later they arrive in Port Jackson and the work begins in setting up a new settlement there is a lot to overcome, when Governor Arthur Phillip sends Gidley to Norfolk Island to start another settlement he takes male and female convicts he has his choice of females to be his housekeeper and he chooses Ann Inett and soon she is more than his housekeeper.
Gidley and Ann get on well and soon are the parents of a son, Norfolk soon after Ann becomes pregnant again Gidley is sent back to England with letters and requests to keep the settlements going, sadly Ann does not go with him and gives birth to their second son Sydney, it is eighteen months before Gidley returns and he returns with a wife, Anna Josepha.
It takes some time but the two woman open up to each other and a friendship slowly grows and over the years it becomes very strong, Gidley becomes Governor and the pressure is on everyone to keep the new settlements going there are many hardships and this book shows what they all went through, it really was a hard life.
This is one that I recommend to any lover of Australian history, these characters are part of Australia’s history, the characters are strong and real and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them, Ann Inett and Anna Josepha are both strong and caring woman who lived through tough time’s hardship in a male dominated world but both came out the other side, this is a wonderful story.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
4 stars
January 7, 2025 by Allen & Unwin
