Bridget Crack

(Paperback)

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'The kind of book that keeps you reading past midnight, holding on for dear life. There's a sense of menace on every page. An incredible debut by a brilliant new talent.'
Rohan Wilson, author of To Name Those Lost

Van Diemen's Land, 1826.

When Bridget Crack arrives in the colony, she is just grateful to be on dry land. But finding the life of an indentured domestic servant intolerable, she pushes back and is punished for her insubordination-sent from one place to another, each significantly worse than the last. Too late, she realises the place she has ended up is the worst of all: the 'Interior,' where the hard cases are sent-a brutally hard life with a cruel master, miles from civilisation.

She runs from there and finds herself imprisoned by the impenetrable Tasmanian wilderness. What she finds there-what finds her-is Matt Sheedy, a man on the run, who saves her from certain death. Her precarious existence among volatile and murderous bushrangers is a different kind of hell and, surrounded by roaring rivers and towering columns of rock, hunted by soldiers and at the mercy of killers, Bridget finds herself in an impossible situation. In the face of terrible darkness, what will she have to do to survive

A gripping and moving story of a woman's struggle for survival in a beautiful and brutal landscape, Bridget Crack is a unique and deeply accomplished novel by a rare talent.

'A compelling story and terrifically told. Leary's voice is supremely confident and perfectly balances a fine lyricism with tough, sinewy sentences that hit hard and true.'
Lenny Bartulin, author of Infamy

Reviews

'Bridget Crack is a new Tasmanian legend. This is a brilliant, haunting evocation of women and history.'
Heather Rose, author of The Museum of Modern Love, winner of the 2017 Stella Prize

Author Bio

Rachel grew up in Tasmania then moved to Melbourne in 2003 having enrolled in the Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT. Rachel has had a number of short stories and essays published and in 2014 she was awarded an ASA mentorship to develop her novel manuscript. At University of Tasmania Rachel gained First Class Honours for her Cultural Geography thesis on the Hobart Rivulet and then went on to train in physical theatre, clowning and improvisation. She has now been a professional performer for over ten years. While living in Tasmania Rachel spent much time camping, bushwalking, white water rafting and kayaking.