The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress (Sue Williams, A&U)
The latest, standalone historical fiction from Sue Williams, The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress, is a prequel to her bestselling and critically acclaimed novels Elizabeth & Elizabeth and That Bligh Girl. Tracing Philip Gidley King’s career from his early naval days to his joining the First Fleet and ultimately becoming governor of NSW, Williams skilfully interweaves King’s story with that of his convict mistress, Ann Inett, and of his wife, Anna Josepha. Using extensive research to vividly portray 1770s England and the tumultuous days of early white settlement in Australia, Williams convincingly demonstrates the impact of political, economic and social conditions to explain how the lives of these three very different people intersected. The American War of Independence leads to Ann’s widowhood and criminal conviction, while the loss of the American colonies ensures her transportation to the new Australian penal settlement. England’s rapid industrialisation and land enclosure acts forced King to join the navy at 12. Meanwhile, class expectations and social pressures mean Anna Josepha marries a man she barely knows. Williams uses conjecture to build believable and sympathetic characters based on the scarce known facts about the two women. Fans of historical fiction by authors such as Kate Grenville should be delighted by Williams’s meticulous recreation of a past world and of three fascinating people swept up in events of their time.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Katy Briggs is a marketer with a degree in English and history. She is an avid reader across myriad genres. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
Category: Reviews