HISTORICAL NOVEL SET IN SYDNEY JUST PUBLISHED

'MACQUARIE'S INDIAN BOY' by FIONA D'SOUZA

The main character in this fascinating novel is a young Indian man, George Jarvis, who was actually adopted by Governor Lachlan Macquarie as a slave boy in India and was employed as the Governor's valet and confidante.

After he arrives with the Macquaries in the new colony in Australia he soon develops friendships with indigenous characters as well as a strong bond with a freed Jamaican-American slave, Billy Blue, a ferryman on Sydney Harbour.

The novel takes in the far reaches of British Imperialism from India, America, Ireland and Australia by touching on the impact of colonialism on George, his friend Carrangie, his mentor Billy Blue, as well as his first love, an Irish convict Brigid Moran living in The Rocks.

The impact of colonisation on the indigenous people of NSW provides a significant turning point for George in his growth to manhood.

Jarvis held friendships with indigenous characters as he witnessed growing tensions and warfare between the traditional owners of the land and the white settlers who had recently taken up land to farm on the outskirts of Sydney. In the process George comes to manhood with a new understanding of himself and his place in the world.

Amazon review: A well researched history of the first seven years of the Macquarie era in early NSW. A fresh perspective on the governor and the colonial project by a young man of colour.

Available in local bookshops and at Amazon and other online bookstores in print and ebook formats.

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