A journey of escape – Fled, the story of Mary Bryant – Meg Keneally

Submitted: 20th April 2019

A convict from Cornwall is sent to NSW. Then she escapes.

A journey of escape – Fled, the story of Mary Bryant – Meg Keneally takes you on a very unusual journey. Although this is a fictional account of Mary Bryant’s story, there is a good mix of fact and fiction, all stirred with a little dose of creative imagination.

Imagine being sent from England to Australia for having committed a crime. This could range from a relatively petty crime to something as serious as murder. Sailing for weeks in horrific conditions would have been awful. The final destination, a colony, not much better. This is a novel to make you think about what life was really like back then when you were shipped across the world for one mistake…or one misunderstanding.

BookTrail Travel to the locations in Fled

Setting: A journey at sea, on a convict ship from England to Australia. Then the escape journey from NSW to Indonesia..

BookTrail Travel to the locations in Fled

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A journey of escape – Fled, the story of Mary Bryant – Meg Keneally…

I love stories which mix fact and fiction. When they do it this well, I almost want to hug the book.

This is a fictional account of the true story of Mary Bryant, a convict who was sent by boat to the colony in NSW, Australia. Her life, from her time living in Cornwall, and then Plymouth is documented first. There is little known of the real Mary Bryant so this helps to visualise her and her life before the journey to the colony. The court scenes in particular reveal the level and methods of justice metered out at the time. This part of the novel is an addition we are told, yet you can imagine this is very realistic and insightful.

For me, once Jenny (the character’s name in the book) was on board the ship, the book revealed yet another side of this thrilling and dangerous story. The journey took weeks and was very uncomfortable. It was fascinating to be on that ship with the convicts and you can feel their fear of the unknown. Conditions were poor and the journey endless. All was well evoked with the five senses. I almost felt seasick, it was that good.

That’s not even the most eventful part of the story. Mary Bryant has a baby on board. Once at the colony, she and a few others plan their escape. This new journey takes them some 69 days and takes them to Indonesia. I won’t say what happens next but it was a fascinating account of one woman’s efforts to evade justice. I became very keen to see her escape, despite her status as a prisoner. The strength and perseverance of this woman back then was admirable. Is this the right word for describing a fugitive? Probably not. But Mary/Jenny was that kind of character for me.

What a wonderfully adventurous novel. For a debut, this is particularly stunning. Woven with style, built on solid research and an insight into times past. High jinks on the High Seas.