Review of 'Family & Fortune' by Pauline Wilson
Review of 'Family & Fortune' by Pauline Wilson
Release date: March 12th, 2025
Publisher: Boughyards Press
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REVIEW
Family and Fortune by Pauline Wilson is an excellent family saga, well written and deeply emotional with traumatic events that shape these characters’ lives. Though it is a work of fiction, this story springs from one branch of the author’s family tree. To be able to transport that history into such a powerful tale is a huge credit to Pauline Wilson. It is well researched, with vivid descriptions that truly made me feel as if I had been transported back to 1845 England and colonial Australia (Van Diemen’s Land and various Victoria locales) and takes us into the closing year of 1935.
This story centres around English born Mary Ann Turner and Richard Evans who each tell their life story of their time separate and together. Mary Ann, while living at her birth country of England, saw many changes. Her family has gone through some tough times and she is forced to leave school to work and help feed the family. As she gets older and reaches an age when her parents believe she should be married, she is told that she is to wed Richard, a man she has never met. He is an ex-convict who was previously shipped to Van Diemen’s Land for a lengthy sentence. For those who may not know Australian history, Van Diemen’s Land was the colonial name of Tasmania during the 19th Century. Convicts from England were sent there due to its harsh environment, isolation and escape-proof landscape. Richard has served his sentence and now is free to make his own way and choices. He initially gets caught up in the gold rush fever and partners with a fellow he met in the past. Together they stake their claim and do well for themselves. Richard then wishes to marry and with advice from his father, hears of Mary Ann. He returns home to England to meet her and ask for her hand.
Mary Ann is a loyal hardworking daughter but understandably she is not happy about being forced to marry. Yet after meeting Richard, she sees he is kind and considerate and maybe this might be an exciting adventure. After they wed, she quickly learns that her life is going to be a hard one, starting with the journey to Australia and then living in a tent at a gold digger’s site. Of course, they do eventually build a home together. I won’t say more but every challenge imaginable comes her way that could easily break the most robust. Yet to her credit, she perseveres and between the turmoil and changes, she finds some joy in her domestic life—mostly in her children.
We not only get to know Mary Ann and Richard quite well but also their children. We watch them being born, grow up, make mistakes and face some horrible losses. My heart went out to the women of the story, who particularly had it harder—due to all the social issues, expectations and health challenges they faced. Without the medicine we have today, it was tough and early deaths were common. Pauline gives us a total picture of the times, the locations and the events. Her story world reflects the true history of the years between 1845 and 1935. This is both a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of two English people transplanted in Australia during its early days. The changes would have been hard as this is a land of many extremes and many were not prepared for the drastic differences.
I am very glad to have read Family and Fortune (a well titled novel) that is constructed from what is both real and imagined. Fans of AnneMarie Brear’s novels will love this one as I felt there were some similarities in these two author’s style and content. Regardless, this is a powerful story of new beginnings that highlights the importance of friendship and family. Even though there are ample losses and challenges, there are also numerous happy moments and cherished rewards. Warm, heartfelt writing at its very best! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to the author for a review copy.
