The tale of three sisters, the dangers of isolation, and the explosive repercussions when seemingly absolute power is challenged . . .
'The world, had you asked it, would no doubt have said that there was something distinctly indelicate about the idea of young ladies like ourselves making such a bid for fame and notoriety . . .'
In 1847, three sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Anne - live with their father on the island of Coldwater off the coast of the colony of New South Wales. But the island is a prison, in every sense. The sisters' father is Governor Wolf, in charge of the island's penal settlement containing some of the most hardened convicts in the colony.
Aware of their vulnerability as unmarried women, particularly should their father die, the sisters must find a means to earn a living in the outside world. To this end they start writing novels.
Within its shores, Coldwater contains both the passionate and romantic imaginations of the sisters, and the brutal realities of convict life. It can only be a matter of time before these two worlds collide, and the dangers of the heart meet the dangers of armed revolt.
Taking the few seeds that history reveals about Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte, Mardi McConnochie has skillfully reimagined their lives to create a work of fiction as psychologically riveting as any contemporary thriller. 'Coldwater' is a powerful and daring literary debut from a compelling new voice.
