DANGEROUS WOMEN

Narrator Fenella Woolgar's performance of this terrific novel, based on a true story, is as satisfying as a full-cast recording. In 1841, the Rajah leaves London with 180 women prisoners sentenced to transportation to Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania). Also on board are the captain, a physician, a clergyman, and optimistic 23-year-old Kezia Hayter, the ship's matron. Kezia chooses 18 women to stitch a quilt as a gift for their new country's governor. With an impressive command of voices and accents, Woolgar flawlessly delivers the women's shared stories of abuse and feelings of anguish over leaving their children. When a woman is stabbed, the story becomes a mystery at sea, and Woolgar makes the journey so real you can taste the salt. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]