I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, and I read even less Australian fiction (call me unpatriotic if you like), so Kate Grenville’s The Lieutenant was an unusual sort of read for me. However, I did find myself enjoying it much more than I thought I would, as a result of both the writing and the subject matter.
The Lieutenant is set in 1788 and focuses on – you guessed it – a lieutenant, Daniel Rooke, who is sent to New South Wales on the First Fleet to help with the establishment of a British colony. A keen astronomer, Rooke sees this as an opportunity to set up an observatory away from the camp and to begin the scientific work that he hopes will make him famous. He strikes up a relationship with a young Aboriginal girl and some members of her tribe; and is beginning to forget his position as a soldier, when a man from the colony is fatally wounded by a native. What follows are events and situations that will change the course of his life.
At 302 pages, with fairly large print, The Lieutenant was by no means a taxing read. The writing is simple and straightforward; it conveys its message effectively and isn’t laden with convoluted descriptions. It is highly absorbing; and although the situations Rooke faces are worlds away from the situations many people today would face, the reader is able to empathize with his character, as they can relate to the emotions he is experiencing as a result of his situations. Rooke finds himself facing very difficult decisions: namely, concerning his loyalty to his country and the governor versus his loyalty to the natives he has grown close to. Virtually everyone finds themselves having to make a difficult decision at one point or another; and in this way they realize that the emotions that Rooke is feeling are not so different to the emotions they may have felt, and can relate to and understand Rooke’s dilemma.
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