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South of Darkness

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South of Darkness

By: John Marsden
Narrated by: Paul English
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About this listen

Thirteen-year-old Barnaby Fletch is a bag-and-bones orphan in London in the late 1700s.

Barnaby lives on his wits and ill-gotten gains, on streets seething with the press of the throng and shadowed by sinister figures.

Life is a precarious business. When he hears of a paradise on the other side of the world - a place called Botany Bay - he decides to commit a crime and get himself transported to a new life, a better life.

To succeed, he must survive the trials of Newgate Prison, the stinking hull of a prison ship and the unknown terrors of a journey across the world. And Botany Bay is far from the paradise Barnaby has imagined.

When his past and present suddenly collide, he is soon fleeing for his life - once again. A riveting story of courage, hope and extraordinary adventure.

©2014 John Marsden (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Historical Fiction Fiction
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Once it got going I couldn't turn this book off. From the slums of London, through rough justice to the Australian penal colonies to the wilderness beyond this story just got more and more compelling.

I learnt some things about that time and place along the way. Highly recommend.

What a ride! Learnt something along the way too.

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Really interesting book about transpirtation to Australia for the convicts. Describes all the convicts had to endure well X really enjoyed it

Great historical novel

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Well worth reading - enjoyed it a lot but a little unbelievable! The story of an extraordinary life.

too many coincidences!

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I've listened to Paul English before and his reading is always excellent. This was the first of John Marsdens books I've experienced and I'll definitely look for more. I thought it was a great story, it never lagged, always kept me interested.

I really enjoyed this audiobook.

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