Daniel Rooke’s childhood is miserable; as a smart boy born to poor parents in eighteenth century England, doors eventually open for him but he constantly struggles to fit in. In 1788 he seizes the chance to go on a mission to New South Wales as an astronomer, hoping to finally break out of his position in the lowly marines and become a scientist. That doesn’t quite happen; instead, in his solitary makeshift observatory, Rooke forges a friendship with the Aborigines, one in particular, that has an astonishing effect on his worldview and brings into sharp focus the issues with British imperialism.
The Lieutenant is a short, quick read, but no less affecting for all that. The book is written in third person and the beginning went very quickly, which made me feel somewhat detached and a bit frustrated, but as soon as Rooke is in the war, I was immensely wrapped up in his story. His journey to Australia was outright fascinating. More than anything, it showed the arrogance of the British soldiers, convinced that the natives would immediately like what they had to bring, want to hang around them, and be grateful for their company even after they were forcibly captured! I was astonished. I knew this sort of thing happened in the Americas but it still made me so angry.
Luckily, Rooke shared my feelings, and I loved the friendship he shared with the native girl and his diligent attempts to learn their language for the sake of speaking to them, not to become famous like one of the other crew members. I really felt that he was trying to understand them and he treated them like the people that they were. He was just a really admirable, clever man, and even though I couldn’t entirely get inside his head, I got enough of his intentions to really like him, and his actions were above reproach as long as he knew what he was doing.
I did think the beginning and the end were brief and sort of disappointing and detached, but in my opinion the entire book was worth it for that great middle section when Rooke tries to learn about another culture without imposing his own Britishness on it. He’s clearly rebuked when he does. I was happy to learn that it was based on a true story and a soldier did attempt to learn the language from a young native girl, although the author says clearly it’s fiction and should not be taken as history. Even so, knowing that at least one man attempted to understand, rather than oppress and change, makes for a great story and reminds us that some people do buck the trend of history.
I am an Amazon Associate. I received this book for free from the publishers for review.
I love books that are based on true stories. This one sounds great!
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Our Life in France – banking, money and numbers =-.
This is one to put on the wish list for the middle part of the book and because it’s based on a true story.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..From Biologist to Author: A Visit with Sneed B. Collard III =-.
I really didn’t like this book so much. I much preferred Grenville’s The Secret River. I love that book and for some reason, after reading that, this one just felt so flat, character-wise for me. I didn’t think we really got to KNOW Rooke at all, and so I didn’t feel invested in his decisions and his courageous act. And I agree- the ending was so rushed! I wish she had written a longer novel and explored the character more.
.-= Aarti´s last blog ..With Reverent Hands: Bridge of Birds =-.
Oh, this was my first book by her, so I didn’t really have any expectations. I’ll look out for The Secret River, though!
I really enjoyed this story but then I’ve liked all of Grenville’s books that I’ve read. The Secret River and The Idea of Perfection were both excellent reads. Thanks for your thoughts on it, I hope your next book you try by this author will be a better experience for you.
.-= Sandra´s last blog ..Waiting on Wednesday: Special Edition 2 =-.
I feel like I have this book on my TBR list and now I am really looking forward to reading it! Your review got me very excited for it. Love that it was based on a true story!
I’m hoping to get to this in the next few months. Sounds like it might be slightly disappointing though. Will read it though because I loved The Secret River.
.-= Jo´s last blog ..The Way Things Look to Me by Roopa Farooki =-.
This doesn’t really sound like my type of novel-I get way too depressed by stories like this.
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..Urban/e Vampires =-.
ahh..wish there were more such characters – fictionally as well as in real-life
.-= Nish´s last blog ..The Countess – A Book Review =-.
Hmm…this one sounds interesting, but I may move it down in the TBR pile. Thanks!
.-= S. Krishna´s last blog ..Winter Garden – Kristin Hannah =-.
I have been wanting to read this and am really excited to see this review! Despite the fact that the book dragged a bit in the beginning, I still think it sounds very promising. I just finished a book that had some of the same elements called Our Hart. The main character spent a lot of time getting to know the Chinese and their culture without imposing his own on them. I will have to let you know what I think of this one.
.-= zibilee´s last blog ..The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek – 384 pgs =-.
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