The Philosopher's Daughters — Alison Booth

A tale of two very different sisters whose 1890s voyage from London into remote outback Australia becomes a journey of self-discovery, set against a landscape of wild beauty and savage dispossession. London in 1891: Harriet Cameron is a talented young artist whose mother died when she was barely five. She and her beloved sister Sarah were brought up by their father, radical thinker James Cameron. After adventurer Henry Vincent arrives on the scene, the sisters' lives are changed forever. Sarah, the beauty of the family, marries Henry and embarks on a voyage to Australia. Harriet, intensely missing Sarah, must decide whether to help her father with his life's work or to devote herself to painting. When James Cameron dies unexpectedly, Harriet is overwhelmed by grief. Seeking distraction, she follows Sarah to Australia, and afterwards into the outback, where she is alienated by the casual violence and great injustices of outback life. Her rejuvenation begins with her friendship with an Aboriginal stockman and her growing love for the landscape. But this fragile happiness is soon threatened by murders at a nearby cattle station and by a menacing station hand who is seeking revenge.


Industry Reviews


‘[T]his lively novel... is a page-turner in the best sense: a story that causes us to emotionally invest in and care for the futures of two appealing and interesting protagonists... Booth's rendering of the land... makes this story sing... and many of her descriptions deftly combine a sensual beauty with informative detail.' Newtown Review of Books 


‘Wonderfully evocative... The Philosopher's Daughters deals with large issues of race and gender while keeping the focus on the two main characters and their relationships. There is enough drama here to keep the reader engaged to the last page.' The Canberra Times


‘A delicately handled historical drama with a theme of finding self, both in relationships and art.' Tom Flood, author of Oceana Fine


‘A lyrical tale of wild frontier Australia. Evocative, insightful, thought- provoking.' Karen Viggers, author of The Lightkeeper's Wife