Born to a poor fisherman, Mary Broad goes to Plymouth to find employment when she comes of age. With so much competition for jobs and no recommendation after refusing the advances of her previous employer, Mary is forced into thievery. After stealing a silk hat, she's caught and sentenced to hang, but then she gets chosen for transport to a new penal colony in New South Wales for seven years. But this isn't the reprieve she at first thought. Suffering filthy conditions, starvation, and disease, many women turn to prostituting themselves to the marine officers onboard for adequate clothing and extra rations. Arriving and founding a new colony with only the remaining supplies from their ship, things are looking bleak. She will do anything to escape back to England, showing a strength and determination not often seen in women of her time and becoming a heroine of a nation.
I absolutely loved this book! It's wonderful that it's based on a real life character. The writing style made me feel like I was actually there crossing the ocean in the stinking, filthy hold of the ship, the hot and nearly uninhabitable barren land of Australia, then the chill and damp of Newgate prison on her return to England. Everywhere she went, she gathered admirers and her amazing journey makes for the perfect story.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily..

Wow I had no idea this was based on a true story! This things this woman went through were truly crazy!

An intruiging historical fiction novel based on a subject not widely written about. If you're interested in historical fiction but looking for something different, I recommend this one. Great writing and keeps the reader interested.

This was an incredible story of survival and injustice of the Old World - just wow. Not for someone wanting a light hearted happy ending read but for those looking for depth and truth in a novel especially about Australia's history. Mary , the main character, goes through so much I could not put the book down. Wonderful historical fiction!

Mary, the daughter of a mariner from Cornwall, upends her life when she attempts to steal a silk hat and parcels with two other pickpockets. Mary is sentenced to hang for her crime, but is given a "reprieve" (if you can call it that) when she is instead transported to Australia. Mary encounters harrowing events and conditions on the voyage to Australia, and has to take the danger and brutality of the fledgling country head on in order to survive.

This was a heavy read, and knowing it is based on the true story of Mary Broad made parts of it hard to stomach. I am a huge fan of historical fiction but this took a very long time to get through. The story felt very dense with only pockets of levity and light throughout. It is extremely well written, I just think I happened upon the book at the wrong time to fully enjoy it.

I love this book with a passion! I dont usually go for historical fiction, so I was wary going in, but the cast was so interesting, and to find out that this was all based on the real Mary just makes me love it even more. Leslay Pearse truly brought everyone to life. You will become invested in the characters, good and "bad." Pearse did not glorify anything. Things were harsh, and Mary and the people around her had to to do things that made them uncomfortable, and we were privy to every part of it. She didnt gloss over anything, which made it so much more realistic. I will be recommending this to any lover of historic fiction and to anyone who's even considering picking it up. It was so worth the read.

Book Review for Remember Me by Lesley Pearse
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

This was an exhilarating tale of a woman sent to a prison colony in Australia during the roughest of times which she manages to overcome despite the obstacles thrown her way. Highly recommended!

I do not typically read historical fiction, this was actually one of my first ever set in the colonial times. Lesley Pearse has a vivid writing style that puts your imagination to the test. Her imagery put my right into the bottom of the prison ship, with all the filth and wild happenings. Mary is a very likeable character who has fallen on some tough luck. The read started out very slow for me and took me much longer to read than expected. I would rate this 3.5 stars but will put 4 for the sake of no half stars.

Thanks to Lesley Pearse and publishers, along with Netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

I first want to give a trigger warning for rape, abuse, domestic violence, mention of pedophilia, and sexual assault. This book was amazing. While I disagree with some of the representation of the natives, I do recognize that this was based on the journals of people during this time period. I liked that Mary mentioned that she understood why the natives would be aggressive, as the prisoners were taking their resources and land. After all, it is completely understandable. The natives were there first. The rape scenes were very graphic, so I would give this book 4.5 stars. I found it a little too graphic. Though, since that is not possible, I found that 5 stars was suitable. I would highly recommend this book for adults. Possibly, wait until you are above the age of twenty. This book is not really for enjoyment, but for a heart-wrenching story of a woman trying to survive. I would have liked if not every single man she met fell in love with her, as that is not realistic, but I will let that slide because the overall book was good. I highly recommend this book as a historical read that will make you cry.

Powerful story of life and survival. From a simple theft to deportation to Australia. Mary lives unimaginable hardships to get back home.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My honest review? I LOVED this book. I couldn’t put it down. I learned a lot about the criminal justice system of the time and about the settling of the New South Wales penal colony. And the story. Wow. What a brave woman Mary was. The story was absolutely heart-wrenching. The writing was really well done. The characters wonderfully fleshed out. I was disappointed at the ending until I read the author’s Afterthoughts, which explained why it ended the way it did. And it turns out, I think the ending was perfect. I highly recommend this book!

This was a most compelling read of a difficult chapter in British history - the first convict transport to Australia and the travails suffered by Mary Broad Bryant and her fellow convicts. Author Lesley Pearse, through her extensive historical research, has put soul into a well-documented person of history. Pearse's writing is fine and highly descriptive without being flowery. Her writing calls to the reader's senses as they smell the sweet tropical plants of "Down Under" as well as the tang of the sea mist or that horrendous odor wafting up from deep within the ship's hold. They see the flagging convicts with their vacant visages as well as the encouraging dawn of a new day. One hears the angry voices of native islanders, the roiling surf of a stormy sea and the harrowing cries of hopeless convicts. One feels the tender touch of a caring friend and the horrific grip of a would-be rapist. Mary had been a foolish young woman who embraced her lot in life, yet inspired courage, engendered compassion and managed to survive the transport experience. Pearse has held nothing back. This is a horrific and yet amazing true story which needs to be told again and again. I for one am richer for having spent these hours with Mary, an amazing woman of history.

I am grateful to author Lesley Pearse and publisher Agora Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

This novel is based upon the true story of Mary Broad. A young English woman who was captured in the act of robbing a women in the town square. Mary is imprisoned in Exeter Castle at barely 20 years old and was charged with "Highway Robbery".She is first sentenced to death by hanging but later receives a reprive and faces deportation in 1786 from England to New South Wales and what would later become known as Australia.

I was granted an early read by NetGalley and the publisher, Agora Books in exchange for a honest review. I can't in all honesty recommend this book. All that is portrayed in this story is extreme human suffering and it is very bleak. Mary ends up losing everything experiencing starvation, inhumane treatment and conditions, isolation, illneses, rape and emotional and physical abuse. She eventually faced with the violent death of her husband and the heartbreaking deaths of her two children from starvation. This story was not plot driven and not truly character driven either.It's driven by pages and pages of descriptions of the horrible treatment of women in the lower class,in this bleak period of history, who were baiscally felt to be a nuisance and disposable. I ended up simply scanning the last 50 pages.

At first I was intimidated by the length of this book. My normal book is around 300 pages and this is over 500! I worried if get bored and want to cast it aside. But I was pleasantly surprised and didn’t want to put it down!
What a wonderful journey Lesley Pearse takes us on. We follow the story of Mary, a young girl sentenced to being sent to Australia for stealing food to survive. She is thrown in a boat with other convicts and surprisingly survives the rough trip.

Then we follow her life on the new island and the harrowing tale of escape. I won’t say to much more to avoid spoilers but this was a fantastic ride. I was engaged and loved every minute!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for making this copy available to me!

I loved this novel. It tells the story if Mary, who is arrested in Cornwall on a minor charge, and her voyage to Botany Bay in Australia. I feel like this time period is often not represented in novels and as an avid historical fiction reader, I loved learning more of the hardships of starting a new life in Australia.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Based on a harrowing true story of a woman who defied expectations and beat the odds."

Good book, put this on your list To Read. Mary Broad is a woman to admire, sympathize with and learn from.

4☆

Based on the true story of Mary Broad, Remember Me is a powerful and amazing story. From the harrowing journey to the terror of landing in a new prison colony, Lesley Pearse has managed to write a book that is both terrifying and informative.

Thank you to netGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is an amazing book! I was totally gripped the whole way through. You must read it!
One of the best most absorbing books I have ever had the pleasure of reading also based on true events.
This was just brilliantly written!

Not much historical fiction is written about the transfer of criminals to Australia - but I am so glad Lesley Pearse did. Her heroine is very likeable, and you can feel her desolation at being sentenced and then transported, and you can sense her strength as she choose to live her life the best she can. Really enjoyed this book!