Author: Darry Fraser
ISBN: 9781489250407
RRP: $29.99
Publication Date: 19th December 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
The Widow of Ballarat is Darry Fraser’s third novel and although it clearly stands on its own as a novel, there is a link to her previous two books, the Murray River series.
Set in Ballarat, the day after the infamous Eureka Stockade uprising in the goldfields, Fraser continues to demonstrate her research skills and ability to seamlessly blend historical fact with fascinating, engaging and realistic characters.
Fraser pulls no punches in highlighting the hardships of working on the goldfields during the gold rush in the mid 1800’s. The requirements for all to pay their monthly gold licence fee, even those who weren’t digging but providing services such as laundry “in case they came across a nugget in their work”, the desperation that led to the Eureka Stockade uprising, and the dramatic over response by the government troopers, and the violence that so many women endured at the hands of their fathers and husbands.
Nell Amberton is the central character in this tale. Forced into matrimony by her father with the sickeningly violent Andrew Amberton even before his first wife’s body has even cooled in the grave, Nell vows not to end up the same way. Amberton taunts her that she will only be secure when she produces a male heir, as stated in his legal papers.
The morning after the Eureka Stockade uprising Amberton drags Nell and some bags of gold into a carriage to flee the goldfields, abandoning the men who are working his claim. When the carriage is stopped by a bushranger, Amberton, like the bullying coward he is, uses Nell as a shield as he exits the coach. It comes as a great surprise to all then, when the bullet that fells Amberton does not come from the bushranger’s gun, leaving both Nell and the bushranger to wonder where the bullet came from.
But for a woman in the 19th century, the death of her husband, even one as cruel as Amberton, did not afford any security. Unless Nell was delivered of a male heir, as per Amberton’s will, then she had no claim to the property they lived in, or any form of support, and would likely be returned to her scoundrel of a father so he could sell her off in matrimony again. Reluctantly she finds herself living with Amberton’s sister, who clearly considers Nell to be a burden, and her nephew Lewis, who wants Amberton’s purported gold to address his own financial woes.
Nell must use all her wits to ensure that she remains a free woman and salvages her future from the pit of despair in which she finds herself, while at the same time trying to understand the feelings she seems to be developing for the handsome young bushranger, whose face she has not seen, yet is drawn towards.
This is a fabulously written book, which deals with a tumultuous period in Australian history, in an honest and realistic manner, and yet also encompasses love, loyalty, the beginning of the movement towards rights of women and the amazing strength to survive that some women demonstrated.
At her book launch Darry Fraser stated that she felt the need to write this book to explain where a character in the River Murray series sprang from, and for those familiar with her previous books there will be an “Aha” moment. For those who may not have read Fraser’s prior work I hope this book inspires you to seek them out.
Highly recommended 5 stars.
This guest review was submitted by our Beauty and Lace Club member: Marcia who was lucky enough to meet the author at a book launch.
You can follow Darry Fraser on Facebook, Twitter and her Website.
The Widow of Ballarat is available now at Harlequin, Angus and Robertson, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Harlequin 20 of our Beauty and Lace club members will be reading The Widow of Ballarat so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I love to read, for many years my passion has been science fantasy but recently I’ve discovered many fabulous Australian women authors and am devouring all the new genres I am being exposed to.
In addition to reading and reviewing books I enjoy photography, spending time with my husband, daughter, grandson, 2 dogs and a cat and am an aspiring author.
I have not read a Dary Frasier book before and really enjoyed reading The Widow of Ballarat.
This story is set in the gold fields of Ballarat it is 1855 and women have no rights, it is a time when men make all the decisions and fathers could sell their daughters to whomever they chose for money, a compelling story of passion, resilience, and a woman’s relentless quest for independence. It is the Story of Nell Amberton who is left a widow when he husband is supposedly shot dead by a bush ranger. Nell has had a very hard upbringing with a controlling father and then sold into a marriage with a very abusive husband who had beaten his first pregnant wife to death, now that she is free of her abusive husband she is determined to make a life for herself and not to have to rely on a man to support her. I would give this book 4 stars
The Widow of Ballarat starts with Nell, an abused wife who becomes a widow. It is the day after the Eureka stockade and the horse and cart that she is travelling in with her husband is stopped by a bushranger. Her husband is shot dead. This is December 1854, a difficult and cruel time to be a woman. Did the death of her husband save Nell’s life? Or has her situation became more complicated and direr with no money and no place to live?
Thank you to beauty and Lace and to Harlequin Books for the opportunity to read ‘The Widow of Ballarat’ By Darry Fraser. I found that there were scenes at the start of the book that were hard to read, however getting beyond these scenes I enjoyed the story. I liked Nell’s strong surviving character and I liked the character of the bushranger. I like how while reading this book you were transported to another time. A time with hearty meals soaked up in bread. A time when a whole community were housed in tents. A time that was not too hard to comprehend and it felt realistic. A time when people were drawn to Ballarat in the hopes of striking it rich by finding gold and changing their lives. Hopeful people arriving and living in Ballarat being pulled into this hard-disheartening survival way of life.
Thank you to beauty and Lace and to Harlequin Books for the opportunity to read ‘The Widow of Ballarat’ By Darry Fraser. This is the first of her books I have read, and it wont be the last.
The book tells the story of Nell a young woman, sold by her father to a terrible man who caused the death of his first wife. Nell is determined that the same fate will not befall her.
The book is set in the Ballarat goldfields in the 1850’s. This was an interesting time in Victorian history. The government charged a fee to everyone working on the goldfields, regardless of whether they were miners or not. The injustices led to the Eureka Stockade Darry covers these events well, making me feel I was almost part of the uprising.
When her husband is killed, Nell’s life does not improve.. Life on the goldfields is difficult for everyone, more so for women. Nell took on laundry work, which was exhausting and to an extent dangerous. There were few women to the number of men.
Alongside the historical side the novel is also one of romance. Nell slowly realises she can be with her bushranger and still maintain some independence, At this time women were the property of men and the law gave them no rights or protection.
I could not put this book down and would recommend it to everyone.
Darry Fraser has a special talent of grabbing your attention to her story writing straight away. This is the second book of hers I have read and can say she is up the top of my favourite authors list. I really love how she captures the surroundings and the way the characters talk. I know what Ballarat looks like but not once did it resemble today, it took me right in time with all the hardships they endured and the rights they didn’t have. If history was taught by reading Darry Frasers books, it would be so much more interesting. Nell was a great character with strength and determination to survive on her own without any choice because of turmoil and sadness she first endured. Finn was a really good man and loved his character of Bushranger as well as Flora and her mother being a great support for Nell. I am now wanting to read what’s after The Widow of Ballarat. Fantastic review Marcia! xo
The Widow of Ballarat was set in 1854 that’s when gold was worth a lot money, people would kill for gold if they had to.
Nell was married to a violent man he did not love her she was his slave and no hope of every being happy.
I would recommend this book to read you won’t want to put the book down until the end.
The Widow of Ballarat is an enchanting novel about the struggles of men and women as they negotiate the perils of Australian life during the gold rush era of the mid 1800s. We meet Nell, a young, head strong lady who is forced into marriage to a ruthless, abusive man. Many know of the husbands’ behaviours but little is said and Nell has to suffer. From adversity, Nell is determined to survive and thrive but it will take a mammoth effort of self preservation and determination. Who are her friends, who can she trust, and will she ever fall in love?
Darry Fraser is a very talented author and the research she has conducted and included in this story is evident. This is a rich tale of the trials and tribulations of a significant era in Australian history, and it is clear that the author has worked hard to recreate stories of that time for this novel. This story easily stands alone in a single novel but I have heard there is a prequel which I am very eager to read.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace Book Club, Mira (Harlequin Enterprises) and Darry Fraser for the opportunity to read this fascinating story.
I first found Darry Fraser through Beauty and Lace so was understandably excited to see The Widow of Ballarat on the December call out list. To say I am a fan is a understatement!
Her writing is just so seamless and enjoyable. She transports you back to the 1800s with ease. You feel as though you are right there with the characters as part of the story yourself.
As in her previous two books i have read, she maintains a strong female lead battling the hardships women went through in the 1800s. I must say it was nice to see a book about what the women went through on the diggings, in such a male predominant area.
Although a standalone book, there is a character tie in to her Murrey River novels (Which I also highly recommend!)
Overall a beautifully written, heart warming tale of survival thats hard to put down.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Harlequin for the chance to read and review such a great book!
I hadn’t read any of Darry Fraser’s books, before ‘The Widow of Ballarat’ and was looking forward to it, because of family connections to that era, 1853-1854. I wasn’t disapointed, I loved it!
Set in the aftermath of the Eureka Uprising, we find our strong, determined herione, Nell Amberton witness her husbands death but not at the hands of the bushranger, who has just held up their coach, but someone else, unknown. Nell must now navigate both her family and her late husbands family, who think she has now come into a fortune in gold, whilst forging a new life for herself. There is the mysterious stranger, who seems to know more about her than he should, a nephew, by marriage, who wants the gold and a father set to take what he thinks is his and marry her off, again.
Yes, you do find out about they mysterious stranger and who killed the husband. A good twist.
Beautiful written, I felt that I was there and could feel what my great-great-grandmother would have gone through, too.
I hope that Darry writes Flora’s story, next. I have now added Darry to my reading list, to watch out for.
I really enjoyed yet another amazing historical fiction in The Widow of Ballarat.
Darry Fraser very skilfully transports you back in time to 1854 Ballarat at the time of the Eureka Stockade when gold mining was at its peak.
In a compelling story of passion, resilience and a woman’s fight for independence Nell Amberton was sold into marriage by her father only to find herself living with a horrible, violent man who had apparently killed his first wife.
Then her husband rushes her out of Ballarat and along the way they are accosted by a bushranger and Andrew Amberton is shot dead.
With no grief for the loss of this abusive man she now has to deal with life as a widow in a time that woman in many ways were powerless and had to struggle for survival.
Nell Amberton is a survivor and fights for her independence as the death of her husband brings about a chain of events that include the bushranger.
It is easy to find yourself enveloped in the characters of this story including Finn, Flora and Josie. All who showed their courage and strength.
This is a powerful, intense and emotional novel.
What a great read set in the gold rush days at Ballarat.
This book ‘The Widow of Ballarat’ depicts the hardships of both men and women in the 1850’s but more so the inequality and cruelty to women and their tenacity for the women to fight for equality and survival.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well researched book by Darry Fraser. Thankyou Beauty and Lace as well as Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book