Dangerous Women
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- Author：Hope Adams
- ISBN：9780593099575
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Summary
Nearly two hundred condemned women board a transport ship bound for Australia。 One of them is a murderer。 From debut author Hope Adams comes a thrilling novel based on the 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah， about confinement， hope， and the terrible things we do to survive。
London， 1841。 One hundred eighty Englishwomen file aboard the Rajah， embarking on a three-month voyage to the other side of the world。
They're daughters， sisters， mothers—and convicts。
Transported for petty crimes。
Except one of them has a deadly secret， and will do anything to flee justice。
As the Rajah sails farther from land， the women forge a tenuous kinship。 Until， in the middle of the cold and unforgiving sea， a young mother is mortally wounded， and the hunt is on for the assailant before he or she strikes again。
Each woman called in for question has something to fear: Will she be attacked next？ Will she be believed？ Because far from land， there is nowhere to flee， and how can you prove innocence when you’ve already been found guilty？
London， 1841。 One hundred eighty Englishwomen file aboard the Rajah， embarking on a three-month voyage to the other side of the world。
They're daughters， sisters， mothers—and convicts。
Transported for petty crimes。
Except one of them has a deadly secret， and will do anything to flee justice。
As the Rajah sails farther from land， the women forge a tenuous kinship。 Until， in the middle of the cold and unforgiving sea， a young mother is mortally wounded， and the hunt is on for the assailant before he or she strikes again。
Each woman called in for question has something to fear: Will she be attacked next？ Will she be believed？ Because far from land， there is nowhere to flee， and how can you prove innocence when you’ve already been found guilty？
Editor Reviews
12/14/2020
Adams’s debut transforms an actual 19th-century sea voyage into a striking personal drama。 In April 1841， a transport ship sets sail from London with 180 women convicted of minor crimes aboard。 During the three-month voyage to the penal colony in Van Diemen’s Land （now Tasmania）， the ship’s matron， Kezia Hayter， chooses a group of convicts to sew a presentation quilt。 Near their destination， someone stabs one of the quilters， Hattie Matthews， and it becomes clear that another member of the group has secretly stolen the place of another woman on the ship in order to flee from justice for a much more serious crime。 Evocative sketches of those on board reveal the realities of poor women’s lives with a gently feminist， but still comfortably period， aesthetic， as do the difficulties that Kezia has in having her insights respected by the men investigating Hattie’s stabbing。 The romance that develops between Kezia and the ship’s captain comes off as blandly inevitable， but the undercurrent of gossip around the relationships the other women pursue is much juicier。 Readers who like their historical mysteries well-grounded in real history will be rewarded。 Agent: Nelle Andrew， Rachel Mills Literary。 （Feb。）
Excerpt
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Adams / DANGEROUS WOMEN
I wish I didn’t know， she thought。 I wish I’d never found out。 I wish I could be the person I was this morning， before we sat down to our stitching。
The sea moving past the ship was almost black in the fading light。 Where the Rajah was now， in the middle of the Southern Ocean， there was only a short time between sunset and darkness。 She leaned over to look more closely at the water。 It rushed past the hull， curling up into small waves， which slid away to lose themselves in larger waves or long swells of water。 For a long time she’d been afraid of it， walking along with her eyes fixed on the planks of the deck， seeing the ocean only when it couldn’t be helped， catching sight of it from the corner of her eye。 Now， after many weeks at sea， she’d grown used to it， was in awe of it and loved it， albeit warily。
She’d fallen into the habit of going to the rail when the stitching work was finished。 She liked to stand there for a few minutes， alone， trying to see what lay beyond the line of the horizon， breathing in the wide water and the high sky that seemed to go on and on till you grew dizzy staring up at it。 Now the only thought in her head was what she’d learned。 Every feeling in her heart was muddled， and the fear that had overcome her since she’d found outdiscovered by noticing a gesture for the first timewouldn’t go away。 There had been a shadow before， near the coil of rope， and she peered behind her now to see if anyone was there， looking at her。 She saw nothing。 But what was that noise？ She held her breath， though the only sound was the familiar groaning of ropes in the rigging。 Then she felt a change in the air around her， became aware of someone coming up beside her， and turned， ready to tell whoever it was to go and leave her alone。
Pain took away her words。 She reached out， but as soon as it sliced into her clothes， as soon as it pierced her skin and reached her flesh， the blade was gone and whoever had held it had disappeared， too， and there was nothing left but an agony of white， shining pain， and her own hands suddenly scarlet and wet as she clutched them around herself。
The knife， the knife has killed me， she thought， and a sound filled the whole of her head and poured out of her mouth in a torrent of screaming。
1
NOW
5 July 1841
Ninety-one days at sea
A knife 。 。 。 is it true？ Who’s got a knife？
Hide。 I must hide 。 。 。 Oh， my blessed saints， help us 。 。 。 Is there blood？
Where is it？ Is it here？ Someone’s got a knife 。 。 。
Who’s got it now？ Where is it？
They’ll cut our throats 。 。 。
The women’s voices twisted into one another， rising and falling in the gathering darkness of the cabin。 The lanterns had not yet been lit and the light from the small windows was fading。 The women who weren’t shrieking were wailing and clinging to each other， and even though no one said the words， and no one dared to ask， one question hung in the fetid air: Is she dead？
Those who’d been on deck when it happened sat together， trembling and white-faced， some still holding their baskets of scraps and sewing。 The three women known as the Newgate Nannies shifted and settled on the cabin’s longest bench， gathering their garments around them， like three birds of prey folding their wings。 Behind them， the sleeping berths rose up， and the dark corners of the convicts’ quarters seemed gloomier than ever。 The Rajah rolled a little in the swell， her timbers creaking with the motion of the waves。
They were now much nearer to Van Diemen’s Land than to England。 The sea had been as flat as a sheet of glass for the last two weeks but had grown choppy around dawn。 By sunset birds had appeared， wheeling in free spirals around the masts， their black shapes standing out against the pale sky。 July in these latitudes meant winter， and there was often a chill in the air。
“She was probably asking for it，” said a harsh voice， sharp with spite。
“Shut your filthy mouth，” said another woman， with a pockmarked facethe one who took care of the children aboard。 “Say another word， you fat bitch， and I’ll bash your teeth so far into your head you’ll be farting them out through your arsehole。”
Someone stood up as angry murmurs turned to shouts， and another hissed， “Quiet， the lot of you。 They’re coming。”
They heard the men before they saw them。 Their voices rang loud in the darkness， their feet stamping heavily on the steps of the companionway。 The women stared at these strange creatures as though they were more than human: taller， stronger， calmer。 The captain and the Reverend Mr。 Davies， accompanied by three sailors， faced the huddled bodies of the women， like a human wall。 The matron， Miss Kezia Hayter， was with them。 She wore a blue knitted shawl around her shoulders， and her pale face was unsmiling。 Her hair， usually so well arranged， was disheveled and her eyes were full of sadness。
As they waited for the captain to speak， some women cried; others clamped their lips together and tightened their jaws， eyes wary， daring others to blame them。 There were those also who longed for matters to be as they were before， in the harmony they’d found briefly before the screams began。 Before they’d seen Hattie Matthews lying there， her hair like red-gold autumn leaves scattered on the deck。 Before everything was torn apart。
Reviews
Katherine A
，
Hope Adam’s has written a very well executed factionalized account of an actual journey of the ship Rajah from England to Tasmania。 I found #dangerouswomen to be quite interesting， well-written and entertaining。 As an added bonus it is also about the making of The Rajah Quilt which is in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and was the inspiration for the story。 The ship is taking about 200 women convicted of a variety of crimes from various prisons and transporting them to Tasmania to start life anew。 The quilt is something a few of them work on during the 3 1/2 month voyage。 I think this is very well researched and well written and I also found it to be a page turner。 I thank #netgalley， the publisher， and author for this ARC to read and review。
Louise Leonard
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Intriguing but left a bad taste in my mouth。 Sarah/Clara was a baby murderer and deserved to be hanged。
Kris
，
“That’s what we， too， are like， us women。 We’re a patchwork。 One person next to another， then her next to a third， and on and on， different people pushed together。。。and near on two hundred of us on this ship and taken far away， existing side by side， sleeping together， eating together。。。We’ve turned ourselves into something。 We’re many small pieces， each of us different but now stitched together。 A patchwork of souls。”A patchwork of souls 💞。 How beautiful is that ？！？ 😌 London。 1841。 180 convicte “That’s what we， too， are like， us women。 We’re a patchwork。 One person next to another， then her next to a third， and on and on， different people pushed together。。。and near on two hundred of us on this ship and taken far away， existing side by side， sleeping together， eating together。。。We’ve turned ourselves into something。 We’re many small pieces， each of us different but now stitched together。 A patchwork of souls。”A patchwork of souls 💞。 How beautiful is that ？！？ 😌 London。 1841。 180 convicted women。 1 murderer。 And the story of the Rajah quilt *promptly searches google images for said quilt*。 When a young mother is stabbed to death on the voyage， the crew struggle to find the culprit amongst 180 previously convicted women。 I have been reading a lot of historical fiction lately and wow， women have had it rough。 Convicted for stealing to feed your children？ Being raped， blamed， and then told you should have just let the man finish because it’s quick？？ 🤦🏼♀️ For as far as we’ve come in society， it’s almost as if we haven’t come far at all 😞。 This was a great， albeit difficult， read。 There is hope in the power of a strong woman， and I am in awe of what these women have risen above and survived。 Although I know this is not a true story， you would be hard pressed to believe it is not。 It is that good。 Thank you to Netgalley， Berkley Publishing and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Misty
，
DNF
Ann
，
Dangerous Women （Hope Adams） is a fictional story based on some history。 There was a convict ship with women aboard who together made a quilt。 The Rajah was taking the women to Vandiemen's Land， Australia （Tasmania today） and sailed from April 1st to July 19th。 Ms Adams gives us a glimpse of how life might have been on the ship and a fictional murder to solve。 I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an early copy to review。 Dangerous Women （Hope Adams） is a fictional story based on some history。 There was a convict ship with women aboard who together made a quilt。 The Rajah was taking the women to Vandiemen's Land， Australia （Tasmania today） and sailed from April 1st to July 19th。 Ms Adams gives us a glimpse of how life might have been on the ship and a fictional murder to solve。 I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an early copy to review。 。。。more
Dana
，
What an interesting mix of three genres this was。 I was fascinated to learn that convict women in the 1840s were given patchwork pieces to learn sewing while transported to Australia to start a new life。 The Rajah Quilt is displayed in the National Gallery of Australia and was stitched together on the journey that is described in this book。 Hope Adams uses this historical story to set a fictional mystery in - the murder of one of the convicts during the course of the journey。 The third genre is What an interesting mix of three genres this was。 I was fascinated to learn that convict women in the 1840s were given patchwork pieces to learn sewing while transported to Australia to start a new life。 The Rajah Quilt is displayed in the National Gallery of Australia and was stitched together on the journey that is described in this book。 Hope Adams uses this historical story to set a fictional mystery in - the murder of one of the convicts during the course of the journey。 The third genre is a love story which is apparently true too， although personally I found this the weakest link in the tale。Many thanks to Netgalley/Hope Adams/Penguin Michael Joseph for a digital copy of this title。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
，
I enjoyed Christina Baker Kline’s The Exiles about women who were convicted of petty crime and sent to Australia。 Dangerous Women is set in the same time and place and is Hope Adams debut novel。 180 women set forth on the Rajah to Tasmania。 The ship’s matron， Kezia Hayter， choses a group of women to work on a presentation quilt。 When a woman is tabbed to death， they realize that a dangerous woman who has taken on a different identity is aboard。 While the story is sensitive to feminists， it is cl I enjoyed Christina Baker Kline’s The Exiles about women who were convicted of petty crime and sent to Australia。 Dangerous Women is set in the same time and place and is Hope Adams debut novel。 180 women set forth on the Rajah to Tasmania。 The ship’s matron， Kezia Hayter， choses a group of women to work on a presentation quilt。 When a woman is tabbed to death， they realize that a dangerous woman who has taken on a different identity is aboard。 While the story is sensitive to feminists， it is clear men are in charge。 Reflecting the times， Kezia finds her investigation hampered by men who doubt her ability to investigate。 Readers of historical fiction will find this a satisfying novel， with a different approach to the female convicted of petty crime sent to Australia than Baker’s book。 。。。more
Amanda
，
Dangerous Women is absolutely fascinating。 Historical fiction is absolutely one of my go-to genres， but there are some topics out there today that are just overdone。 Hope Adams has done an amazing job of taking the reader inside the transport ships taking convicted women from England to Tasmania in the mid 1800s。 The mystery of who stabbed Hattie and the creation of the Rajah quilt make this an absolute must read。 Dangerous Women is the best kind of historical fiction - the kind loosely based on Dangerous Women is absolutely fascinating。 Historical fiction is absolutely one of my go-to genres， but there are some topics out there today that are just overdone。 Hope Adams has done an amazing job of taking the reader inside the transport ships taking convicted women from England to Tasmania in the mid 1800s。 The mystery of who stabbed Hattie and the creation of the Rajah quilt make this an absolute must read。 Dangerous Women is the best kind of historical fiction - the kind loosely based on actual facts that makes you curious and sends you to the internet to learn more。 Thanks to Berkley and Hope Adams for my advance copy of this gem！ 。。。more
Nicola Bennett
，
This managed to combine two of my favourite genres – mystery and needlework。 Okay， needlework is not really a fiction genre， but it is one of my interests。It incorporates the true story of the voyage of the Rajah transporting one hundred and eighty female prisoners to Tasmania in 1841。 This was during the period when the Quaker Elizabeth Fry was working to improve the conditions of female prisoners and those transported。 One of her acts was providing women with sewing materials to take on the vo This managed to combine two of my favourite genres – mystery and needlework。 Okay， needlework is not really a fiction genre， but it is one of my interests。It incorporates the true story of the voyage of the Rajah transporting one hundred and eighty female prisoners to Tasmania in 1841。 This was during the period when the Quaker Elizabeth Fry was working to improve the conditions of female prisoners and those transported。 One of her acts was providing women with sewing materials to take on the voyage which they could use to pass the time， and also create items to sell for money on arrival。 It is likely that several quilts were made on these voyages， but the only one that is known to survive is that created on the Rajah。 I was lucky enough to see this at the Quilt Exhibition in the V&A during 2009 – usually it is kept in Australia。 It is a large complex quilt and having the image of it in my mind added to my appreciation of the references to the quilt throughout the book。But I think even with my enjoyment of the needlework， I would have found the book a little uneventful if it had only been about the actual voyage。 However， the author introduces a mystery， two mysteries in fact。 From the very beginning one of the protagonists is hiding something， and it′s a serious enough secret that it would need to be kept silent by the act of murder。 But she is not the only one with secrets since these women have been transported for various crimes， and have also been damaged by the hard life of the 19th century。 The main narrators are the criminal with the hidden identity， and Kezia Hayter （a real historical character） who is the ″matron″ in charge of the prisoners， but we also learn about the characters of many of the other women。 Their interactions and stories are vivid and poignant; most of these women will never see their family or friends again。I liked the resolution of the mystery， and that the book ended on a note of hope for all the characters。It would be good if this book was successful enough to cause a reissue of Patchwork Prisoners a nonfiction book about the quilt and its makers。I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley。 。。。more
Theodene
，
It’s 1841。 A couple hundred female convicts are being transported by boat to the other side of the world。 During the voyage， cliques of ladies find themselves congregating。 Also， eighteen women are gathered to assist the Matron in stitching a coverlet for their arrival in Australia from England。I’ll admit this book was a bit slow to get moving。 For me， it wasn’t until nearly halfway through that the plot picked up its pace。 What normally takes me two days to read to me nearly four。There’s a stab It’s 1841。 A couple hundred female convicts are being transported by boat to the other side of the world。 During the voyage， cliques of ladies find themselves congregating。 Also， eighteen women are gathered to assist the Matron in stitching a coverlet for their arrival in Australia from England。I’ll admit this book was a bit slow to get moving。 For me， it wasn’t until nearly halfway through that the plot picked up its pace。 What normally takes me two days to read to me nearly four。There’s a stabbing on board three ship。 Will Hattie survive？ Who will watch over her dear son， Bertie？ Will the coverlet come together and be presentable before they arrive in Australia？A digital ARC of Dangerous Womens by Hope Adams was provided by Berkeley Publishing Group via NetGalley。 I give this book 4 out of 5 tiaras because it was slow going， but once it did， it almost made up for it。 I am thankful readers don’t need to track all two hundred passengers。 。。。more
Debra
，
"Let the thief no longer steal， but rather let him labor， doing honest work with his own hands， so that he may have something to share with anyone in need。" - Ephesians 4:28This book blends fiction and history to tell the story of the Rajah convict ship and its voyage in 1841 taking English female convicts to Tasmania - then Van Diemen's Island。Here is a list of the real convicts aboard:https://www。hawkesbury。net。au/claimac。。。One hundred eighty Englishwomen board the Rajah in London， 1841。 T "Let the thief no longer steal， but rather let him labor， doing honest work with his own hands， so that he may have something to share with anyone in need。" - Ephesians 4:28This book blends fiction and history to tell the story of the Rajah convict ship and its voyage in 1841 taking English female convicts to Tasmania - then Van Diemen's Island。Here is a list of the real convicts aboard:https://www。hawkesbury。net。au/claimac。。。One hundred eighty Englishwomen board the Rajah in London， 1841。 The women have committed petty crimes and are on a three-month voyage to Australia （Tasmania） where they will now reside。 Most of their crimes were a result of doing what they needed to do to survive， to pay the bills， to defend themselves and feed their children。 But there is one among them who has committed a more serious crime。 One who will do anything to survive。While on board the ships matron， Kezia Hayter has the women make a quilt called the Raja Quilt。 It is now housed in the National Gallery of Australia。 Can you imagine doing needlework on board a ship？ I can barely put needle to thread on solid ground， I cannot imagine doing it while the ship rides the waves but that is what they did。Toward the middle of the voyage Hattie， a young mother is mortally wounded。 Someone on the ship is responsible， but who？ As the women begin to be questioned， they also have questions themselves about their own safety， who might have reason to harm Hattie， and what will happen when they reach shore。Hope Adams does a good job showing what life was like for the women onboard: cramped uncomfortable conditions， bad food， unhygienic conditions， seasickness， having to get along with others， secrets， missing their family and homes， being suspicious of their fellow convicts and unwanted attention （and sometimes wanted attention） from the sailors。I appreciated that she gave the chapter headers， so we knew what character's POV was being given and when。 Through the various POV's we learn more about the characters， their pasts， what lead them to be on board the Rajah and what they are doing in their present time of 1841。Some of the characters in this book are based on the real-life people on board the Rajah， the author changed some of the convict’s names and others are a work of fiction。 I enjoyed the story but also felt it could have been pared down a little in the middle。 Hope Adams did her research and yet again I have learned a new piece of history from reading a book！ An interesting piece of work - the quilt and the book。Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。See more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Hayley Sykes
，
Dangerous Women by Hope Adams is a book about second chances。 The novel is actually based on a true story about a group of convicted women being forced to board a ship called the Rajah to be relocated across the world from London to Australia as their "punishment"。 Relocation to some of these women seems to be the worst punishment imaginable but to others its a new beginning， a second chance to start out on a different foot。 The women aboard the ship are a rough bunch。 Most if not all of them ha Dangerous Women by Hope Adams is a book about second chances。 The novel is actually based on a true story about a group of convicted women being forced to board a ship called the Rajah to be relocated across the world from London to Australia as their "punishment"。 Relocation to some of these women seems to be the worst punishment imaginable but to others its a new beginning， a second chance to start out on a different foot。 The women aboard the ship are a rough bunch。 Most if not all of them have had a tough life。 They grew up lower class with abusive families and knew no better than to steal in order to scrape out a living for themselves。 Their actions were wrong but the reader can sympathize with their reasonings in some instances of their crimes。 Their matron， Kezia， has tasked herself with trying to smooth out some of the rough edges the ladies have。 She has over one hundred days to get herself familiar with them and try to learn their stories during their voyage from London to Australia。 When Kezia first addresses the women on board as a whole she says， "The time at sea is a chance for you to improve your lives and you should see it in that light"。 At the beginning of the voyage Kezia selects a group of eighteen women to help her make a patchwork quilt that she hopes will bring them all closer， as well as， teach the women a trade。 It's rough going at first。 Most of these women are loners and are not used to having attention drawn to themselves。 They all quarrel with each other in the beginning but soon turn all their focus into making a beautiful quilt。 Personally I am not sure that Kezia had it in her mind in the beginning that with each stitch the women would be stitching together everlasting friendships but in the end that is exactly what happened。 Their journey was definitely not without its struggles。 Some pretty tragic incidences happened along the way that brought the women closer together and brought out secrets that one woman never wanted to be reveled， all of this sounds vague but really enhances the mystery and suspense of the story to keep the reader enthralled。 I greatly enjoyed Dangerous Women。 I felt it was excellent story telling and a glimpse into what life would have been like for a convicted woman in nineteenth century London。 In the end knowing that the story was based on a true story and that the ship and women actually existed was spellbinding。 This book has definitely peaked my interest into finding out more about the Rajah and the beautiful quilt these women made that still exist and can still be seen。 It was also a heart warming story to modern day women that our past doesn't necessarily have to define our futures。 Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for and advanced copy for an honest review。 。。。more
Catalina
，
The historical events behind this book sound quite interesting。 Plus the cover is gorgeous！！ But I am afraid I've found the story told in Dangerous Women boring。 Ups :p Dangerous women is primarily the story of Kezia Hayter: a genteel women involved with the Ladies Committee and their role in improving prison conditions for women。 Kezia is portrayed in her many roles: as a matron - helping the convict women learn a useful skill and to bond in a hard situation: being transported to Tasmania; bein The historical events behind this book sound quite interesting。 Plus the cover is gorgeous！！ But I am afraid I've found the story told in Dangerous Women boring。 Ups :p Dangerous women is primarily the story of Kezia Hayter: a genteel women involved with the Ladies Committee and their role in improving prison conditions for women。 Kezia is portrayed in her many roles: as a matron - helping the convict women learn a useful skill and to bond in a hard situation: being transported to Tasmania; being the driving force behind the creation of the coverlet， and as a red blooded woman who falls in love with Charles， the captain of the Rajah。 The convict women are extras in their own story。 Luckily a few of them are named， especially those who worked on the coverlet。 2 of them （Hattie and Sarah/Clara） also get a background story and an active voice but that's only because they are instrumental in the creation of the second part of the plot: Hattie's stabbing and subsequent murder investigation。 Don't get me wrong， this is a nice little story that's going to please many。 But as far as I am concerned it is boring because the plot is just a rehash of ideas read in plenty of other books; and also disappointing because the "dangerous women" have been relegated to the role of extras: unknown and voiceless women in life， unknown and voiceless after death too。 Sad :/ *Book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity。 。。。more
Paul Gormley
，
The Rajah sets sail for Van Diemen's land in 1841。 Its cargo a group of women convicts sentenced to transportation。 On board is a young woman， Kezia Hayter， a prison reformer， tasked with the welfare of the women during the voyage。 Kezia selects a small group of 18 women to produce a patchwork coverlet to be presented to the governor and his wife at the end of their journey。The story follows 3 women during the voyage - Kezia and the convicts Hattie and Clara。 Clara has joined the voyage by subte The Rajah sets sail for Van Diemen's land in 1841。 Its cargo a group of women convicts sentenced to transportation。 On board is a young woman， Kezia Hayter， a prison reformer， tasked with the welfare of the women during the voyage。 Kezia selects a small group of 18 women to produce a patchwork coverlet to be presented to the governor and his wife at the end of their journey。The story follows 3 women during the voyage - Kezia and the convicts Hattie and Clara。 Clara has joined the voyage by subterfuge and is operating under an assumed name。 As well as learning stories of these and other women on the voyage， one of the women is attacked and seriously wounded and an investigation takes place to find the culprit。 The story is well structured and interspersed with descriptions of parts of the coverlet and extracts from the ship's log。 Central characters are well developed and maintain interest。 Themes on the situation of women in the 19th century are introduced telling into the narrative。Based on true events， this historical fiction is well worth the read。 。。。more
Jemima Pett
，
Dangerous Women is everything the blurb says， and more。 We switch forwards and backwards between the transport of the women from Newgate prison to a pivotal event and its aftermath， taking the narrative from one of three women involved in the event。 Slowly we understand the key players， the wondrous range of characters incarcerated in the prison ship， and a few of the men around the place too。 Each character is fully rounded， emaciated， toothless， bitter， hopeful， resigned， a victim of justice， Dangerous Women is everything the blurb says， and more。 We switch forwards and backwards between the transport of the women from Newgate prison to a pivotal event and its aftermath， taking the narrative from one of three women involved in the event。 Slowly we understand the key players， the wondrous range of characters incarcerated in the prison ship， and a few of the men around the place too。 Each character is fully rounded， emaciated， toothless， bitter， hopeful， resigned， a victim of justice， or hoping that justice will prevail， despite the blinkered eyes of the male society。The pivotal event occurs fairly early， so we also have a tantalising glimpse of who it might be。 The whodunnit laid in front of us develops through the words of some unreliable narrators as well as the women who are formally questioned by one bigoted and two open-minded men。 And we feel the frustration of the matron as she fails to make her observations and experience heard。This is a wonderful study of life in a closed community， with people from the underside of life， and a few misfits from the upper side， too。 I exclaimed some ‘oh-no’s’ as the story unfolded， but no， another twist awaited。 Even in the denouement there are further twists， and things the reader learns that lie hidden from the rest。 You end wondering what life awaits these folk in Van Diemans Land， rooting for them。To read that the ship， its logs， and the names of the women transported really existed adds to the poignancy， even though， as the author says， the tale is of her own imagination to fit the facts。 It’s an excellent tale， excellently written。 Add Dangerous Women to your TBRs！ 。。。more
travelsalongmybookshelf
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Dangerous Women - Hope Adams𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏， 1841。 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒚 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒂𝒉， 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆-𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉 𝒗𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅。 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔， 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔， 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒔。 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔。 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆。𝑨𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒂𝒉 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅， 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑。 𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍， 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒂， 𝒂 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒐 Dangerous Women - Hope Adams𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏， 1841。 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒚 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒂𝒉， 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆-𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉 𝒗𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅。 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔， 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔， 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒔。 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔。 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆。𝑨𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒂𝒉 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅， 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑。 𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍， 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒂， 𝒂 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏。𝑬𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓: 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕？ 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒅？ 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅， 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕𝒚？This is a wonderful piece of writing。 The story is told across different timelines and from multiple POV’s， slowly we get to learn about the women on the ship - the matron Kezia Hayter， the victim Hattie and the other women in the sewing group who are suspected of her murder。 The writing is detailed and you can almost feel the swell of the sea as you read。 What these women must have felt being transported from their homes is sad and frightening in equal measure。 I liked the characters of Kezia and Joan， the Captain and Donovan。 They are the ones that spoke to me the most with kindness and sadness。‘𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆， 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒚。 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇。 𝑨 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕。’It felt relatively slow paced but I like that， I like the intricacies， the description， learning about these women’s lives。 We are slowly drip fed information to tease out what has happened to Hattie。 Secrets begin to be revealed and the identity of Clara on the boat as someone else is revealed to us the reader but is she involved with Hattie’s demise？ Hidden secrets are explained， there is love and loss and past histories raise their heads and bump together。‘𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍’I really enjoyed this novel， it is quietly moving and gripping and is definitely worth its 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 。。。more
Cheyenne
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I’m good for like maybe one His-Fic a year， but this was a good one！ Very interesting story。。 gave me murder on the orient express vibes， except on a ship full of female criminals。
Katherine
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Hope Adam’s has written a very well executed factionalized account of an actual journey of the ship Rajah from England to Tasmania。 I found #dangerouswomen to be quite interesting， well-written and entertaining。 As an added bonus it is also about the making of The Rajah Quilt which is in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and was the inspiration for the story。 The ship is taking about 200 women convicted of a variety of crimes from various prisons and transporting them to Tasmania to Hope Adam’s has written a very well executed factionalized account of an actual journey of the ship Rajah from England to Tasmania。 I found #dangerouswomen to be quite interesting， well-written and entertaining。 As an added bonus it is also about the making of The Rajah Quilt which is in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and was the inspiration for the story。 The ship is taking about 200 women convicted of a variety of crimes from various prisons and transporting them to Tasmania to start life anew。 The quilt is something a few of them work on during the 3 1/2 month voyage。 I think this is very well researched and well written and I also found it to be a page turner。 I thank #netgalley， the publisher， and author for this ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Meher Shiblee
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I am not a usually a big fan of historical fiction， but Dangerous Women had be hooked for the beginning！ I found the structure of the narrative， switching between timelines， and well as the narrators， easy to follow， and allowed for a great insight into the lives of some really compelling， well-rounded characters。 The women were allowed to take center stage， and we got to experience their friendships， their hopes， and their fears through Adams’ masterful storytelling。 If you are a fan of histori I am not a usually a big fan of historical fiction， but Dangerous Women had be hooked for the beginning！ I found the structure of the narrative， switching between timelines， and well as the narrators， easy to follow， and allowed for a great insight into the lives of some really compelling， well-rounded characters。 The women were allowed to take center stage， and we got to experience their friendships， their hopes， and their fears through Adams’ masterful storytelling。 If you are a fan of historical fiction/ mystery then you definitely don’t want to miss this release， and if you are not a fan of the genre， or haven’t explored it yet， but always wanted to give it a go， this would be a great book to do that with！ Thank you to Michael Joseph for providing me with the proof！ I will definitely be purchasing copies for my friends！ 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Who stabbed Hattie and why？ Loosely based on the true story of the transportation of female convicts from the UK to Australia in 1841， it's more of a mystery than I expected。 Kezia， who chose the women to be transported and serves as the matron， engages them in the creation of a quilt。 She wants to think the best of the women but doesn't realize how many secrets are floating along with the ship。 Clara， for example managed to get on the ship by drugging a woman who was meant to be on it and has t Who stabbed Hattie and why？ Loosely based on the true story of the transportation of female convicts from the UK to Australia in 1841， it's more of a mystery than I expected。 Kezia， who chose the women to be transported and serves as the matron， engages them in the creation of a quilt。 She wants to think the best of the women but doesn't realize how many secrets are floating along with the ship。 Clara， for example managed to get on the ship by drugging a woman who was meant to be on it and has taken her name。 It's told from her perspective as well as from Hattie's and Kezia's。 This is light on the conditions on the ship and on the situations the women came from。 That said， Adams gives a good sense of their desperation。 The mystery is teased out slowly as the storytelling shifts back and forth in time。 You， like me， might think you know who did it （and why） but I was wrong and you might be as well。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 A page turner for fans of historical mysteries。 。。。more
SiSi O'Driscoll
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'That's what we too are like us women。 We're a patchwork。。。Here are friends and enemies。 We've turned ourselves into something。 We're many small pieces， each pf us different but now stitched together。 A patchwork of souls。'A huge thank you to Penguin Books and Michael Joseph Books for sending me a copy of this。 As soon as I read the description， I had to start reading it straight away！ Historical fiction has fast become one of my favourite genres in the last year。 I was never a huge nonfiction f 'That's what we too are like us women。 We're a patchwork。。。Here are friends and enemies。 We've turned ourselves into something。 We're many small pieces， each pf us different but now stitched together。 A patchwork of souls。'A huge thank you to Penguin Books and Michael Joseph Books for sending me a copy of this。 As soon as I read the description， I had to start reading it straight away！ Historical fiction has fast become one of my favourite genres in the last year。 I was never a huge nonfiction fan but I find historical fiction is the perfect mix of nonfiction and fiction。 You are gaining knowledge from a period that happened in our history but the story is told in a way that doesn't feel like you're in a history or politics lesson。 Storytelling is really at the heart of these stories and you finish it relishing in the fact that you got to experience a piece of history that you may never have appreciated or given much thought to before。Upon reading the description of the book， you assume that the story will focus on the murder but you quickly learn that there is a lot more to this story。 Of course， the crime does shape much of the story but Adams also gives us an eye opening account of what these women lived through and how they were forced to act in ways that resulted in them being on the Rajah。 We experience this long sea adventure with them and get to know some of the characters on a deep level as they draw nearer to their end destination。 And the crime itself serves as a great way for the reader to uncover certain secrets that many of the women never want to see the light。 Dangerous Women is the emotional and captivating story of what it meant to be a woman in the 1840s and you can find similarities to how many women face similar trials and tribulations today。 Adams does an amazing job of depicting how difficult life was back then for everyone。 However， I like how she shines a light on women and their untold， but equally important， stories。 There is a great sense of friendship and comradery that develops between many of these women and you， the reader， feel like you have been welcomed into this group of brave and unfortunate souls。 Throughout the book， there is very little focus put on male characters。 Apart from necessary interactions with the Captain， the doctor and clergyman， there is very little mention of other men。 We learn the names of 2 other members of the crew but apart from that， Adams gives her full attention to spotlighting the 180 women on this ship and their journey。 We get to hear their stories， learn about their sorrows and their hopes for redemption on the other side of the world。 I loved the idea of the coverlet and I googled what it looked like and it's so beautiful！ It's amazing how these women managed to create something like that on a perilous journey from England to Australia。 I would love to see it in real life！One thing I did find was that it was hard to differentiate some of the characters。 The main few you got to know very well but the rest seemed very similar in personality and also had very similar names （like Rose， Ruth， Beth， Becky） which made it hard to tell them apart。 That's the only real flaw that I can pick at however， the writing and pace is excellent and I couldn't put it down。 I didn't guess who the killer was， so that was a nice surprise at the end！ Sometimes it's so easy to see through the clues early on and have guessed who the culprit was but I didn't have this person in mind。If you're into historical fiction， then this is definitely worth a read。 The writing is lovely and atmospheric and it's an amazing story that gives you an insight into what so many women experienced and how they survived it。 The book is coming out on 4th March 2021， so keep an eye out！ 。。。more
Cathy Ryan
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4。5*Based on the very real 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah and including several historical characters， Dangerous Women is the story of a group of women， convicted mostly of petty crimes， being transported to Tasmania， then known as Van Diemen’s Land。 The chapters alternate between ‘then’ and ‘now’ giving insights into the women’s individual situations， how and why they found themselves being deported。 Many had been forced into petty thievery by controlling husbands or fathers。 Others stol 4。5*Based on the very real 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah and including several historical characters， Dangerous Women is the story of a group of women， convicted mostly of petty crimes， being transported to Tasmania， then known as Van Diemen’s Land。 The chapters alternate between ‘then’ and ‘now’ giving insights into the women’s individual situations， how and why they found themselves being deported。 Many had been forced into petty thievery by controlling husbands or fathers。 Others stole just in order to survive。A long sea voyage stretches ahead， and as the ship leaves land behind a young mother is fatally stabbed。 All the women come under suspicion， along with the ship’s company， and one had a secret she would keep at all costs。 The investigation into the stabbing is conducted by Captain Ferguson， the minister， ship’s surgeon and Kezia。 Everyone is on edge with the thought of a murderer aboard， especially as none of the women were convicted of that particular crime and， of course， there’s nowhere to run。The women began to form tentative friendships， several brought closer together as they joined the sewing group organised by Kezia Hayter， one of a group promoting the reformation of female prisoners， who has volunteered to look after the women during the voyage。 Armed with a bag full of donated scraps of material Kezia persuades a number of the women to help with the creation of a quilt， with the hope of giving the women a sense of purpose and pride in their work。 The end result would be gifted to the governors when they arrived at their destination。Dangerous Women is a wonderfully fascinating representation of an historical event I knew nothing about。 The punishment and treatment the women suffered for the crimes they committed was very harsh， tearing them away from families and everything familiar to send them halfway across the world， into the unknown。The dialogue is realistic， in keeping with the characters and their situations， and the interaction between the women is just what you would expect， with squabbles and frayed tempers， as well as humorous moments。 Chapters from several viewpoints work well and help to flesh out the characters。Hope Adams has produced an impressive， extremely well written and researched debut， compelling not only because of the truth of the story but also the vivid imagery of the setting。The Rajah Quilt is now on display in the National Gallery of Australia and the author states she has changed the names of certain convicts because descendants of the real women still live in Australia。 。。。more
SharleneH
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Dangerous women-Hope Adams 。Nearly two hundred condemned women on board a sailing ship bound for Australia。 A novel based on the 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah， a novel about hope during confinement， about a murder and the terrible things we will do to survive。 。What a wonderful debut Adams has written！ A historical fiction， murder mystery that is both thought provoking， heartbreaking and felt so real。 The fates of these women were out of their control and they are flawed， tired， struggli Dangerous women-Hope Adams 。Nearly two hundred condemned women on board a sailing ship bound for Australia。 A novel based on the 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah， a novel about hope during confinement， about a murder and the terrible things we will do to survive。 。What a wonderful debut Adams has written！ A historical fiction， murder mystery that is both thought provoking， heartbreaking and felt so real。 The fates of these women were out of their control and they are flawed， tired， struggling women who found themselves in a situation that meant they would do anything to survive this voyage。 。Whilst reading， I felt their struggles， their frustration and misery。 The circumstances forced them to make wrong choices and this poignant， well written story will have you gripped from the start。。The fact this novel is based on true facts makes it both more traumatic and addictive and when travel is again allowed， visiting Australia to view the quilt made by the real women on board is now on high my wishlist。 。A fantastic debut and a must for all historical fiction fans。 I loved it 😃。。。Thank you @michaeljbooks for this copy to read and review。 。。 。。。more
Sue Plant
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would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novelan historical novel based on fact with elements of fiction， the quilt that the women were working on during the voyage is fact and is based in the national gallery of australiathis is the story of 180 condemned women being tranported to australia for crimes that they had committed， kezia haytor takes on the role as matron to these woman and tries to introduce needlework to these hard disillusioned women with t would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novelan historical novel based on fact with elements of fiction， the quilt that the women were working on during the voyage is fact and is based in the national gallery of australiathis is the story of 180 condemned women being tranported to australia for crimes that they had committed， kezia haytor takes on the role as matron to these woman and tries to introduce needlework to these hard disillusioned women with the hopes that once they land they will be able to turn their lives around and maybe earn money from the skills that they have learnt during the 15 weeks at sea。。。。brilliantly written and knowing some of the story was based on fact and some fiction didnt hinder the story at all。。。will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors books#rajahquilthttps://en。wikipedia。org/wiki/Rajah_Q。。。 。。。more
Patricia Moren
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This was a brilliant story， based on an historical source， of the journey of 200 women prisoners， deported to Van Diemens Land （ Tasmania）， for minor infringements， mainly relating to survival。 The concept of making a patchwork quilt was exceptional and gave the women a new focus in life， whilst undertaking the journey。 The ups and downs encountered made for a fascinating read。
Sarah Rice gallego
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I received an advance copy of this novel thanks to #netgalley and #BerkleybooksDangerous women is the heart-breaking tale of the journey 200 female convicts from London to Van Diemens island near Australia。 Set in 1841， Kezia Hayter is tasked with being the matron upon the ship。 She is keen and eager to enable the prisoners to be able to redeem themselves in their new home。 A sudden stabbing on board leads to Kezia and three high ranking men to try and work out which of the convicts has committ I received an advance copy of this novel thanks to #netgalley and #BerkleybooksDangerous women is the heart-breaking tale of the journey 200 female convicts from London to Van Diemens island near Australia。 Set in 1841， Kezia Hayter is tasked with being the matron upon the ship。 She is keen and eager to enable the prisoners to be able to redeem themselves in their new home。 A sudden stabbing on board leads to Kezia and three high ranking men to try and work out which of the convicts has committed the crime。This is well researched novel that encompasses the themes of sisterhood and rebirth， the power to reinvent yourself。 The characters are well written and there is a great balance in the relationship between the God fearing Miss Hayter and some of the coarser characters that reside below the decks。 I found the descriptions of daily life for women in Victorian times heart wrenching。 The battle between resigning yourself to the fate a man may have for you or the implications when you fight back。 Based on historical facts， I was intrigued by the Rajah quilt and found myself researching the actual coverlet for myself。 The story is well paced and I found it difficult to put down。 I really enjoyed this novel and would look forward to reading more by Adams in the future 。。。more
D Jackson
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The description of ‘Dangerous Women’ appealed to me as a historical novel based on fact。 The appeal increased further when I realised it was centred around a group of women convicts， responsible for the making of the Rajah Quilt， who are being deported to van Diemens Land - an interesting concept in itself。 The balance of description and action helps the reader join the passengers on the voyage and the characters develop distinctive personalities， contributing to a realistic read。 However it too The description of ‘Dangerous Women’ appealed to me as a historical novel based on fact。 The appeal increased further when I realised it was centred around a group of women convicts， responsible for the making of the Rajah Quilt， who are being deported to van Diemens Land - an interesting concept in itself。 The balance of description and action helps the reader join the passengers on the voyage and the characters develop distinctive personalities， contributing to a realistic read。 However it took me a while to settle into this as Adams flits between two different times with what are sometimes very short chapters。 About halfway through I began to feel more comfortable and then enjoyed the book and the mystery。 Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph （Penguin Random House） for this free copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
what。heather。loves
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In 1841 the Rajah ship sets sail from London， England to Hobart， Australia。 It's carrying 180 women convicts who are being transported as punishment for their petty crimes。 Miss Kezia Hayter， the matron， is charged with the women's wellbeing and overseeing the creation of a large patchwork quilt with a small group of women needleworkers。 When one of the women is found violently stabbed， a hunt begins for the perpetrator， knowing they must be hiding amongst them。 Captain Charles Ferguson， Reveren In 1841 the Rajah ship sets sail from London， England to Hobart， Australia。 It's carrying 180 women convicts who are being transported as punishment for their petty crimes。 Miss Kezia Hayter， the matron， is charged with the women's wellbeing and overseeing the creation of a large patchwork quilt with a small group of women needleworkers。 When one of the women is found violently stabbed， a hunt begins for the perpetrator， knowing they must be hiding amongst them。 Captain Charles Ferguson， Reverend Mr Davies and Mr Donovan， the ship's surgeon， interview the potential suspects with Miss Hayter's help。 Someone is keeping a secret and someone is not who they seem。With determined but kind Miss Hayter， the ship's matron as the primary narrator， there are also narratives from a Clara Shaw （who we suspect is on the ship under a false name， we don't know who） and Hattie Matthews （the victim） and her son Bertie。 The story is told over the 15 weeks of the voyage， then and now until events coincide， revealing more of events。 The characters are well drawn and convincing and Kezia is a strong woman to get behind。 The focus is on the female characters， on their hard lives， their limited roles in society and how they work together to produce the coverlet / quilt。 This is an enthralling and evocative debut about women， crime and the high seas that had me gripped from start to finish。Based on a true story， the criminal mystery element is fictional， but the voyage and the Rajah Quilt are real。 I read this ARC courtesy of Michael Joseph Books and Net Galley。 。。。more
Mandie
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I was drawn to Dangerous Women as this is a story based on historical events。 Whilst the main premise of the story is fiction， I love books that have that mix a bit of truth in there especially if it is set in the past as I always feel that it gives me a little insight into things that I am not aware of but have formed part of how we live today。 Kezia Hayter took the decision to escort 180 convicted women on their journey aboard the Rajah to serve out their sentence in Australia and hopefully ma I was drawn to Dangerous Women as this is a story based on historical events。 Whilst the main premise of the story is fiction， I love books that have that mix a bit of truth in there especially if it is set in the past as I always feel that it gives me a little insight into things that I am not aware of but have formed part of how we live today。 Kezia Hayter took the decision to escort 180 convicted women on their journey aboard the Rajah to serve out their sentence in Australia and hopefully make new lives for themselves。 At 23 she is incredibly young and inexperienced， but she believes that she can unite these women by picking the most talented of them to complete a quilt by the end of the journey。 When one of the women is attacked Kezia is determined that she is going to help the Captain get to the bottom of who was responsible and ensure that all the women are treated fairly no matter what crime they had committed to earn them a place on the ship in the first place。 The story is told through the eyes of just a few of the characters on board， each giving a different perspective of life on board ship， how they came to be there and the conditions they found themselves in going between timelines。 Some are keeping secrets that they really don’t want to be known and you wonder if these secrets have a part to play in the events on board the ship。 There are so many elements to this book that it holds your attention throughout as you watch the women form alliances and friendships， slowly coming to trust Kezia as someone who they can turn to。 As the journey reaches its final destination， the truth behind what happened and why is quite heart-breaking and you see how life and circumstance had broken spirits and minds and leave you hoping that they all find a better life going forward。 This is the debut novel by Hope Adams， but you would never know it。 This is definitely one for fans of historical fiction and those who like me will find themselves digging into the parts of the story based in fact to find out more about what inspired the book。 I look forward to reading more from this author in the future 。。。more
Joanne Dixon
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Dangerous Women is very good- it is based on a true story and depicts the lives of around 200 women sentenced to transportation to Tazmania。 They lived in a world ruled by men， these women， their lives and their stories are the crux of the story - a fictional murder add another dimention to the story。 Really well written。
Alexis （hookedtobooks）
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Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the copy of this book。-I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book as it takes place for the most part on board a ship， but I absolutely loved it。 The book follows a group of female convicts as they make their way from England to Australia （or an island around Australia？）。 While on the ship， a terrible crime is committed and we spend the book reading back and forth from the time they leave to the time of the crime， piecing together the pieces。-I really Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the copy of this book。-I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book as it takes place for the most part on board a ship， but I absolutely loved it。 The book follows a group of female convicts as they make their way from England to Australia （or an island around Australia？）。 While on the ship， a terrible crime is committed and we spend the book reading back and forth from the time they leave to the time of the crime， piecing together the pieces。-I really appreciated the overall message of the book; that female criminals that were being transported were criminals because of the circumstances they were either forced into， or born into， and not because they were bad people。 I also really liked the mystery element of the book。-Finally， I really liked the character of Kezia。 She is on board to look after the women， and throughout the trial， she seems to really care about the women。 She starts a sewing project to keep the women occupied， which was cool。-Overall， an enjoyable story。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dangerous Women
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dangerous Women&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dangerous Women&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0