Elaine Blick

A Shining Path Elaine Blick

Most women convicts sent to Australia in the early 1800s were forced into a life of servitude, where they are not only skivvies, but were mistresses of their employers as well.

How did Peggy escape this fate and become a schoolteacher instead?

Peggy was amongst a group of women convicts in London's Newgate prison awaiting their criminal transportation to Australia. The social reformer and Quaker Mrs Elizabeth Fry visited the infamous prison, turning the whole system upside down. She taught the illiterate women to read and write, how to knit and sew, and prepared them for their new life on the other side of the world. She also gave them hope and courage to face whatever lay before them.

Once a thief and a prostitute, Peggy, now a schoolteacher, finds that in the raw young colony of New South Wales there are opportunities for those willing to work hard. The city of Sydney under Governor Macquarie offers equality to all, including convicts.

In this sequel to Beyond the Horizon, discover what the future holds for Peggy, an ambitious young woman, who is looking for more than life in a classroom.

About the Author: Elaine Blick lived in England for many years and taught school in London. She grew up in New Zealand and had her education there. Now retired, she lives beside a beach in Auckland, which is rather different from London. She enjoys travelling and researching the historical novels she writes. This is her 12th book.