Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter, Lizzie Pook, Pan Macmillan, ISBN: 9781529072853
WHILE the cover might hint at a magical and dreamy tale, Lizzie Pook’s debut novel, Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter is, simply put – raw and gritty.
Prepare to be transported back to the late 1800s, to a small yet fictional town situated along the shores of Western Australia – during the height of the pearl-diving industry, which had become infamously synonymous with cruelty, greed and racism.
The story follows Eliza Brightwell, who along with her family, had moved from London to Bannin Bay a decade ago.
Although her beloved father has become one of the town’s most successful pearlers, Eliza’s life has not been ‘smooth sailing’. Things take a turn for the worse when, after months at sea, her father’s ship returns to the bay without him.
Rumors of mutiny immediately start circulating in the town, and it does not take long before one of his crew members, Balarri – an aboriginal – is arrested for his murder.
Eliza refuses to believe that her father is dead and is certain that Balarri, who used to look after her as a child, is not in any way involved in her father’s disappearance.
When her brother, Thomas, refuses to tell her about the night their father vanished and then also suspiciously insists on leaving for a nearby town to protect the family business, Eliza decides to delve into the truth herself.
However, this soon proves dangerous and near impossible. While she is able to gleam some information from her father’s journal, her status as a woman makes it difficult for her to go places and ask the burning questions she needs answering. Fortunately, she manages to find some help and repeatedly finds herself in some precarious situations. In the quest to save her friend and find her father, she also uncovers some difficult truths about her family.
The story is fairly slow-paced, however, Pook’s creative use of similes and metaphors to vividly paint the world is perfectly balanced with the progression of the story – which kept me hooked. She masterfully guides you between the past and present timelines.
I found every character and snippet of information to have a purpose, and nothing felt forced or out of place. The racism and brutality of the era plays a big role in the story, however, Pook touched and skilfully hinted at those topics without sensationalising them. And while I managed to make some guesses as to how the story would end, it did not ruin the experience for me.
Eliza was a wonderful, strong female character. I could not help but admire her resilience, bravery and intelligence. There are a few other wonderful characters – some you’ll love to love and others you’ll love to hate.
I only have two criticisms: Firstly, I loved Eliza’s supporting characters, and I would have loved to see them fleshed out a bit more. They were just as endearing as she was. And lastly, I felt the truth behind her father’s disappearance was a bit far-fetched and frankly, strange.
Nonetheless, the book is jam-packed with adventure and mystery. It is guaranteed to appeal to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and adventure.
– Mariclair Smit 3/5 stars.
