One of the finest aspects of this book for me was its portrayal of interactions between native Aboriginal Australians and early British settlers. The reader was able to examine the ways in which superior members of the infant colony (such as the governor) interacted with the natives, as well as the way in which Rooke interacted with them. This gave a different dimension to the novel, with readers being able to gain an insight into the contrasting opinions Rooke and the governor held towards the natives.
The Lieutenant was based on the language notebooks of William Dawes, a young lieutenant of marines who was on board the First Fleet and had a keen interest in astronomy. He forged a relationship with some of the native Australians and made an attempt to develop a record of their language and grammar. The fact that this novel is based on recorded events makes it all the more interesting. It is quite thought-provoking to try and imagine the varied reactions of the natives when they discovered that white men had sailed to their land and were trying to claim ownership of it. The Lieutenant doesn’t really look at the idea of ownership, something which is often heavily examined in books of this nature; instead Grenville focuses on particular natives and their reactions towards the soldiers, which is just as effective, if not more so, than tackling the concept of ownership head on.
On the whole, I found The Lieutenant a very enjoyable read and an interesting glimpse of one writer’s interpretation of Australia in 1788. Grenvillle manages to draw the reader thoroughly into the novel through her evocative imagery and concise, economical writing. This is a book well worth reading if you have ever found yourself interested in the First Fleet and the early settlement of Australia.
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