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The Lieutenant

By Kate Grenville
Series: Historical Trilogy
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville is a historical fiction novel that explores the story of Daniel Rooke, an 18th-century astronomer and soldier. He sails with the First Fleet to Australia and becomes fascinated by the Indigenous Australians he encounters. As he forms a bond with a local girl, unique challenges arise that test his beliefs and loyalties.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate immersive historical fiction, vividly exploring colonial Australia through the eyes of a mathematician and astronomer. Kate Grenville's narrative beautifully captures the intersections of science, language, and friendship amidst cultural collisions, making it a compelling read for those intrigued by the complexities of early contact between Europeans and Indigenous peoples.

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The Lieutenant

Lt Daniel Rooke, a young astronomer, sails on the First Fleet to a land waiting for scientific discovery. But his attention soon shifts from the stars to Tagaran, an Aboriginal child who begins to teach him her language. As words unfold, a friendship grows. When he is called to duty, Daniel faces a dilemma that reaches to the heart of his being.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Daniel Rooke, soldier and astronomer, was always an outsider. As a young lieutenant of marines, he arrives in New South Wales on the First Fleet in 1788 and sees his chance. He sets up his observatory away from the main camp and begins the scientific work that he hopes will make him famous.

Aboriginal people soon start to visit his isolated promontory, and a child named Tagaran begins to teach him her language. With meticulous care, he records their conversations. An extraordinary friendship forms, and Rooke has almost forgotten he is a soldier when a man is fatally wounded in the infant colony.

The lieutenant faces a decision that will define not only who he is but the course of his entire life. In this profoundly moving novel, Kate Grenville returns to the landscape of The Secret River.

Inspired by the notebooks of William Dawes, The Lieutenant is a compelling story about friendship and self-discovery.

Series: Historical Trilogy

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781921656767

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 October 2010

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Edition: New edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 320

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Kate Grenville Penguin Books Series: Historical Trilogy

About the Author

Kate Grenville's works include Lilian's Story, Dark Places, Joan Makes History, The Idea of Perfection (winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction), and The Secret River (winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the NSW Premier's Literary Award, and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize).

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