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Handlos on The
Odyssey of Mary B: "I'd highly recommend it."
from November issue, Peace Corps Writers |
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This
book is based on nine years in the life of Mary B (with the following
surnames — Broad, Braud, Brand and later Mrs. Bryant). The story
begins in 1785 when Mary is witness to or possibly a participant in an
assault and robbery. In any case, she is arrested, jailed, later
convicted to seven years’ imprisonment (1785), and then sent (1787) to
Australia as part of the first settlement of convicts in that country.
In 1791, Mary, her two small children, her convict husband and seven
others "requisition" an open boat and escape the struggling
settlement, sailing to Kupang (Timor) where those who survive the trip
are sent as prisoners back to England to complete their sentences —
finally being released and pardoned in 1793.
If you enjoyed the film "Master and Commander"
you will enjoy this book. While just one page short of a ream, the story
moves right along. The writing is straight-forward and (except for the
57 words I attempted to look up in my dictionary) easily understood. The
unfamiliar words would appear to be part of the vocabulary of late 18th
century England and heavily influenced by nautical terms (hulk, drogue
anchored, thwart, payed, wale, strakes, tholes, taffrail, orlop, coaming,
scoot, lug sailed). Terms like clod pates, grog blossoms, noddy and
bufflehead might have been resurrected for the recent election campaign
where we were swingled by puncheons, tierces and firkins of huggermugger
by fish eyed, minikin lags who should have been dressed in mobcaps and
kersey, bound in bilboes, loaded in tumbrels, fed caudle and washed with
lixivium.
The author does a good job of recreating the life and
environment of the late 18th century. The awful conditions in the
prisons and convict ships are described; this is followed by the details
of shipboard life during the voyage from England to the Canary Islands
to Rio to Cape Town and finally Australia where the first colony based
on convict labor was founded in the vicinity of present day Sydney.
Durand vividly describes the length of and privation during the various
legs of the journey. He makes us think of the complexities of
establishing a functional, self-sustaining community on land that was
neither well-suited to grazing animals nor to cultivation of grains and
other food stuffs (presumably better adapted to the British climate)
with a criminal population showing little motivation and not much
history of personal success. As supply ships are lost, damaged or
delayed in reaching the settlement, rations are reduced again and again.
Hunger, disease, death, harsh sentences for crimes, aged convicts unable
to work and hostile indigenes take an enormous toll on the settlers.
Conditions do not appear to have been much different for either the
sailors and marines or the convicts.
While the characters are based on actual people and the
events are grounded in historical facts, it is not clear to me how much
the author has created. I would have found it enlightening for a preface
or afterward to describe how much is fact and how much is
"creation" or fiction. Or a list of references or sources or
recommendations for further reading would be useful to the reader who is
not an historian and who might want to know more.
This story would make the basis for an entertaining action movie —
there are a few central characters, plenty of blood and gore, many forms
of suffering, sex and various sexual orientations, executions, dreams,
nightmares and flashbacks. With historical connections to James Boswell,
Captain Bligh, Bounty mutineers and survivors, Mary B and her surviving
friends lead naturally to a sequel — Odyssey II or The
Further Adventures of Mary B (only partially tongue in cheek).
I would take an exception to comments on page 487 regarding
Mary B’s surname. The reproduction of the original record of Mary’s
marriage to Will Bryant convinces me that "u" and
"n" are different on this page of the document and Mary’s
last name is clearly spelled as Braud not Brand. Genealogists are always
cautioned on such matters.
With more careful proofreading a number of missing articles
and prepositions might have been found and a few awkward constructions
corrected. The "Notes" on page 499 which translate phrases or
document text and quotations have incorrect page references.
All in all, this is a good read — provocative of further
thought and sympathetic to the characters involved. I’d highly
recommend it.
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Wayne Handlos earned a
Ph.D. in Botany at Cornell after his Peace Corps tour and taught at the
university level in New Jersey, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi, then owned
a florist shop and nursery in Minnesota. Now retired, he is gardening
and writing in California. |
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