Promised Lands

Jane Rogers

I've read her previous stuff all good. I didn't want to put this down and found myself wanting to go to bed so I could read it. It's an historical novel and very believable. There are four main characters: one of the first convicts to be transported to New South Wales, an officer on the ship who is going to Australia to build an observatory ,then in the modern part of the story, Daniel who is severely handicappedand his mother, Ola. There are two parts to the story but they never really come together. Both stories say we think we know what we want, but we are totally wrong. There are similarities between the two about the nature of love. Ola believes her son to be a sort of Messiah figure and does not really see him as handicapped. He is someone who understands suffering in the world. She must look after him so that when he has the strength he can burst on to the world.
Caroline 17/5/98

As recommended by Caroline. The novel has two narratives; one set in Australia with the establishment of the colony which was well written and had elements of tension and morality.Running alongside was a modern narrative set in the 1980s/1990s which was about a handicapped child. As far as Gavin could tell there were only tenuous links between the two and he posed the question "What are sub-plots for?"

There was general agreement that sub-plots worked only if they added to or informed the main plot in some way and not if they simply provided two narratives in the one book.
Gavin 21/6/98

By the same author

The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.