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The Coves

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( 57 ratings, 12 reviews)
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 Coves by David Whish-Wilson is a gripping tale set in the Californian goldfields during the mid-19th century. The story follows twelve-year-old Samuel Bellamy, who embarks on a journey across America in search of his mother amidst a backdrop of crime and corruption. This atmospheric novel explores themes of survival, innocence, and the complexities of the human spirit during turbulent times.
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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 historical fiction with a gritty edge, exploring themes of identity and survival. The story is set during the gold rush era in San Francisco, offering a vivid portrayal of both the allure and the harsh realities of the time. With richly drawn characters and a gripping narrative, this novel promises a compelling journey through ambition, conflict, and resilience.

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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

The Coves is a historical fiction novel set amongst the turmoil, loyalty, and violent betrayal of the gold rush era.

San Francisco, 1849—a place gripped by gold fever, swarming with desperate men come to seek their fortune. Among them are former convict Australians, quick to seize control in a town without masters, a town for the taking.

Into this world steps an Australian boy in search of his mother. Just twelve years old, and all alone in a time of opportunism, loyalty, and violent betrayal, Samuel Bellamy must learn to become one of the Sydney Coves if he is to survive.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Coves by David Whish-Wilson is praised for its captivating narrative that intertwines crime, family dynamics, and a burgeoning new world. The book is described as a gripping tale with a relentless pace, combining elements of a coming-of-age story and historical crime fiction, highlighted by fresh and honest storytelling. It evokes a vivid imagery of Australian influence in the lawless backdrop of a town akin to Deadwood.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925591279

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 July 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: Fremantle Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 207.0mm

Weight: 232g

Pages: 224

About the Author

David Whish-Wilson was born in Newcastle, NSW, but grew up in Singapore, Victoria and Western Australia. He left Australia aged 18 to live for a decade in Europe, Africa and Asia. David now lives in Fremantle and coordinates the creative writing program at Curtin University.

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