As a lover of historical fiction I was very excited to read this book and I really enjoyed the idea that it was based upon found diary entries. Whilst the early part of Elizabeth’s life was quite interesting to me, once they had set sail to Australia I found that my interest began to drop rather than build. I found the sea voyage rather oddly told, it must have been beyond disgusting and so very difficult with a child and another on the way but it was made to be more about her husband and his petty squabblings. I found the characters a little flat all but a few and it didn’t quite grab my attention in the way that I’d hoped. In some areas of the book I could read and read, others I lost interest rather quickly and had to go back over paragraphs - to the point where I was becoming lost in the narrative. I think I was expecting a little bit more grit and drama than was told. Thank you to the publisher and net gallery for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Great read for those who love historical fiction, Kate Grenville’s portrayal of the wife of the wool baron John MacArthur is sympathetically told. A young lady desperate to escape the boredom of life in Devon, herself the ward of a local clergyman, falls for a reckless narcissist of a man but soon realises her mistake. A life in New South Wales with a man she abhors ensues however Elizabeth is shown to be resilient, she resolves to make the best of her life, forming friendships and bonds with those around her, moulding her husband so that he can be managed.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for a copy of the novel in exchange for this honest review.

I love Kate Grenville's books and was excited to read this one. It was an enjoyable and well written story about early white settlers in Australia and their impact on the lives of each other and the indigenous people. Told by one of the few women it was a glimpse into the mores of "polite society" and being married to a self proclaimed gentleman.
However, it felt quite superficial at times and not of the enjoyable depth and complexity of previous books and historical characters such as Sal and Sarah Thornhill.
Thank you to netgalley and Canongate for an advance copy of this book.

This is the story of Elizabeth Veale who, through a momentary lapse, becomes Elizabeth MacArthur. Married to a man who cares little for her and who makes enemies wherever he goes, she finds resources within herself to make a bearable life.

With no option but to follow her husband to Australia, she makes the most of the rough conditions, does her best for her children and develops friendships among the settlers and transported convicts of the growing town of Sydney, New South Wales.

This is a quiet book, steadily telling the story of a woman's survival and ability to thrive in harsh conditions, both physical and emotional. There are beautiful descriptions of the landscape alongside accounts of adversity brought on by Mr MacArthur and his obnoxious ways.

Purporting to be a newly discovered account written by Mrs MacArthur herself, this novel shows us one woman's strength and determination and her ability to win through against all the odds. A wonderful book full of insight and compassion.

A room made of leaves tells the story of Elizabeth Macarthur who was married to John Macarthur. This man was not familiar to me, but according to the book’s introduction, he was a famous wool merchant in Sydney. Kate Grenville has set out to write a historical narrative from a woman’s perspective and describes how a young Elizabeth finds herself in the family way, and therefore married the arrogant John. He then decides they will be starting a new life in Australia so they embark on the 6 month sea voyage to get there. The book then follows their new life and how Elizabeth settles into this alien land.
This would be great for fans of historical or period novels, and I thought Elizabeth’s character was incredibly well written. My interest did wain slightly but that is probably because this isn’t my favourite genre of books.

I love Kate Grenville's work anyway, so it was a massive treat to get a copy of this from NetGalley. Thank you.

This is the story of the early days of the wool industry in Australia. Very, very early - Elizabeth MacArthur travels to Australia with her totally unsuitable husband when the colony is still a convict settlement. I guess those early settlers had the choice to hate or to love their new home, to regret England, or embrace Australia. Elizabeth is canny enough to embrace things. She learns to manipulate her husband as much as possible - she's a powerless woman in a man's world.

The heat of Australia, the light, the bush - they shine through this book. Grenville is great at conjuring an atmosphere. She is also constantly aware of the impact of European settlement on the Aboriginal communities, reminding you of what was destroyed as well as created.

This is a great read.

I quite enjoyed this book in parts but it didn't "sing" for me. I found I started to lose interest, the narrative seemed quite flat. At times it said far too much about something and not enough about another. For example, onboard the ship to Australia MacArthur has one of his monumental fallouts with a superior and the family has to transfer to another ship in the middle of the ocean, all the lead up to this is described in detail but not the transfer which would have been incredibly stressful and dangerous with a small baby in tow. The story had potential but the writing style was very pedestrian and it all seemed at bit dull.

"This land - this dirt and stones and trees - was connected to me now by a thousand days and nights of breathing its air, a thousand filaments of memory."

As an expat Australian, I was drawn to reading this novel about the early settlement years of New South Wales and indeed, it was also a joy to read a book set so close to family - Toongabbie, Parramatta, Sydney Cove, Dawes Point, all of the places recognisably home; and yet also, as with Elizabeth Macarthur's experience, no longer "home" in a way because new memories and foundations are laid down on the other side of the world. I had also visited Elizabeth Farm as a school excursion when I was younger but hadn't appreciated then the importance of her role.

The book also recognises that this colonial past comes at a heavy price: the displacement of the indigenous population of the Gadigal, Cammeraygal, Burramattagal, Wangal and and others belonging to the Eora population.

The book is less sympathetic with John Macarthur, a despicable man, from the account given here (well before any decree of lunacy was made, which makes him much more sympathetic). I enjoyed time when the book veered away from that poisonous well and spent time focussing on the positive elements of Elizabeth's life and learning.

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Canongate Books and Kate Grenville for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this fictional account of the lives of John MacArthur and his wife Elizabeth. I knew nothing about these people or the early settlement of Sydney so it was real history lesson. I always know when I've read a good historical novel because it makes me do my own research as I'm reading, checking facts. Whilst this is fiction the author takes Elizabeth's letters as her starting point. The period, background and place are brilliantly drawn. The blend of the facts and fiction are seamless and Elizabeth really comes alive for the reader.

In A Room Made of Leaves, Kate Grenville gives us her imagined memoir of early Australian settler and sheep farmer, Elizabeth MacArthur, Elizabeth was the wife of John MacArthur,a figure well-known in Australian history, who became a wealthy landowner but was shadowed by controversy throughout his life.

Not that much is known of Elizabeth directly, but Grenville has cleverly taken the thin pickings of historical evidence (some letters and a portrait, for example) and woven them into this very colourful tale of Elizabeth's life. Elizabeth tells her own tale in full and frank honesty, from her origins in Devon, the mistake that led her into marriage with John Macarthur and her adult life as one of the first female settlers to the colony.

I thought this book was so well-written. I know nothing of Australian history, and thought the topic could be a little dry but this is far from the case. The narrative moves at a cracking pace and is full of drama, Elizabeth's clever, honest and witty voice carries you effortlessly through the action. My only fault would be that once she is successfully established at Elizabeth Farm, in part five, the story rushes its way through to a conclusion when in fact, there was so much more tale to tell. I would love to see a sequel.

Elizabeth’s story might be familiar to many women throughout time. She has not heeded the warnings of becoming a fallen woman, and finds herself with a soldier husband she neither wants nor loves and must follow him in his relentless ambition and mischief making. Their marriage bed is not filled with passion, but it nevertheless is a duty she cannot avoid. This is based on a true story of a remarkable woman who finds resources to deal with her situation in a time when all too few women had control of their lives. This is a man’s world in gold rush towns of the eighteenth century in Australia, where the natives were ridden off their lands and fell to foreign diseases. The land is full of promise and hardship, and we see both land and native through her eyes.. The author writes in a truly authentic voice of the lure of nature and true feelings, as well as the gulf of displaced people, who like the convicts will never see home again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canongate for the opportunity to review this book. It was not what I expected but I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Elizabeth McArthur . Like many women of her time she was forced into an unsuitable marriage swiftly followed by a move to Australia. Her husband was a difficult,complex man driven by self ambition and rage ,taking every opportunity to fight grievances of his own making. Elizabeth was a resourceful, intelligent woman who managed her husband as best she could by guile. This book mainly centred around her early life and her personal struggle to navigate life in spite of James. Very enjoyable.

A Room Made of Leaves is an intriguing novel about a fascinating period in Australian history.
I devoured this book; it’s an easy read. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good fast paced book and you might find you can't put this one down!

Kate Grenville once again conjures up the all encompassing world of the early settlers in Australia. Featuring a lowly positioned officer McArthur with his pregnant wife Elizabeth as they travel on the high seas for six months to reach their new army posting the story is told eloquently and tellingly from her point of view. The struggles of the early settlers with the many tensions between the native people's and the convicts Elizabeth's insights into the machinations of her husband's unstable mind. She learns to harness and manipulate his moods to their advantage and together they accumulate substantial wealth and estate in their new home. Elizabeth is a dutiful wife who tolerates her husband but finds love and passion in an unexpected place -a room made of leaves providing the discretion and privacy that she needs.
A compelling and gritty read that is a fascinating glimpse into a world we can only imagine, based as it is on detailed research from letters of the time.

‘A Room Made of Leaves’ by Kate Grenville was a joy to read. So evocative of the era that it made me feel I was alongside Elizabeth all the way. A woman of her time Elizabeth was nevertheless a modern and brave woman.

What an amazing book. Tells the story of the life a woman could expect in the late 18th century. The answer to which is not much of one. She belonged to her husband - who had no more need to consult her than he would a dog or a horse. Life was to be endured, enjoyment wasn't on the cards to many women. My only complaint was that I wanted to know more of the rest of her life after the book finished.

Loved it

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

This is Kate Grenville doing more of her Kate Grenville thing! Yes, it's interesting being back in the early years of Australia being built up from a penal colony, and seeing it through female eyes - but there's a kind of swimming at the surface feel as everything unrolls with swift mini-chapters and there's no real depth or change of pace. Very quick and easy reading with nothing challenging to get our teeth into.

Another phenomenal book from Kate Grenville. An alternative history to the growth & development of New South Wales. Based loosely on facts and existing documents & letters the tale is told from a woman’s perspective. I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the story.

One woman's story as an early Australian settler. This book has such beautifully vivid descriptions of the rugged scenery of New South Wales in the early days of European settlement that you almost feel you are there. When Elizabeth's mother remarries, she makes it clear that her daughter will have to find a new home. With few options available, she goes to live firstly with the local vicar, then marries John Macarthur. Little did she know that he would transport her from Devon to Australia, to live among the few white settlers and their convict servants. Although she briefly finds love with another man in their 'room full of leaves', her life is hard, although her cleverness enables her to influence her husband to her advantage. She is keenly aware that Europeans had stolen their land from the local Aboriginal people but comes to love her new home. Another great novel from Orange Prize-winning author, Kate Grenville.

In this latest historical novel by Australian author Kate Grenville we are presented with a tale – the tale? – of a real wife and early white immigrant into the country. She – married to a young military ensign - arrived on the second convict ship into what became known as Sydney Harbour convict colony. Grenville uses this novel to explore the life of one woman in extraordinary circumstances – a woman who like most others has been airbrushed out of regular historical accounts. She explores the particular difficulties that the few women would face in this a strange land under military control, with disease, childbirth, regular shortages, no real legal status or protection and little family support. In a new country that was thousands of miles and months away from the “Motherland”.
We know that some of the “new” men managed to rise to prominence, wealth and power over the early decades of British rule. Some came into the country with extra privilege and wealth of course, but others didn’t. Grenville will explore exactly what types of men will rise to the top in those situations and how and why. As this is a novel primarily about a woman Elizabeth Macarthur the extent that this success could have been based on the work of others, often their partners and wives, much of it unacknowledged then as now. But in a new penal colony where men predominated, where control was based on coercion and extreme violence, where the local first people population would be invaded, de-landed and then subjected to genocide extreme behaviour that might not be tolerated in Britain could flourish largely unchecked.
Elizabeth Macarthur, with little family support, already pregnant, is shown entering into marriage with a young man she barely knew back in Devon in the latter part of the 18th century. Her husband, a young military ensign, has built his life on a series of lies about his background and a grandiose façade he can only maintain with difficulty. But behind this we are shown a man not just insecure and unpleasant, but unstable and at times psychotic as well. We are given full view of a violent and controlling marriage that would be clearly recognisable to many women today. But the underlying aspect of living with a truly disturbed and out of control man is truly chilling as well. Elizabeth will not just live with and through this but she is presented as the reason why the Macarthur family survived and flourished.
Readers of a certain age will remember geography lessons and being told that one of the great reasons for the success of Australia was the new development of the production of quality wool. A “high value” crop easy to transport long distances by sea back to Britain and generate income to support other development. But Grenville has asked how an ex-military man with no background in agriculture and who spent great swathes of his professional life away from Australia could have generated this expertise and trade. She lays it at the door of his wife left on the family estate – Elizabeth’s farming background is explored. But in Grenville’s hand it becomes an exploration too of loss through emigration of family, traditions and old places. But furthermore how with finding joy in the new environment and people a person might build the courage and happiness to move on.
This is a wonderful and vibrant novel on so many fronts; and in spite of the less than easy realities behind it, a joy to read. It is so people centred, it has a great sense of place and it is not soft history but it shows the very clear cultural and “values” links between people now and then. It pulls no punches about the violence, injustices and daily difficulties and horrors of life for many, but because Grenville melds her themes, peoples and places so seamlessly it creates a totally believable and immersive whole.