4.5 stars.

The title and the gorgeous cover drew my attention to this debut author’s wonderful book first.

I’m a long time fan of historical fiction and this easily held its own. The story held me rapt, and I was able to see so much from Ms. Pook’s writing that I did feel transported.

I am looking forward to reading more of the author’s future works.

Recommended.

What a beautifully written and fascinating book!

Eliza Brightwell is the daughter of a pearler living in 1896 Australia. When her father turns up missing, she is determined to both find him, absolve the man accused of his murder, and solve the mystery of why he went missing. At first glance, it seems like a historical mystery but it's really more than that. There are complicated family relationships, family secrets, and social issues that all come into play in the story. In addition, I learned a lot about life in Australia during this time period - about pearling, the settlers, the injustices perpetrated on the indigenous population. Pook has clearly done a great deal of research to develop her setting. The writing is gorgeous. Pook describes the setting in incredibly vivid detail; it reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing in terms of how nature is depicted. The book is full of pictures of the landscape, the weather, the birds, the flowers, the trees, the animals. You really feel like you are living in the story along with Eliza and seeing exactly what she is seeing. The characters are well-developed and interesting as well. Eliza herself is a fascinating protagonist. She is fierce and loyal and independent, but also loving and vulnerable. I also thought the side characters were well-drawn and realistic.

I'm fairly picky about historical fiction but very much enjoyed this one and will definitely be recommending it!

In the late 19th century, a young woman in Australia investigates the disappearance of her pearl catcher father. I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of this harsh, unforgiving setting. You really feel like you are there. And while it seemed a tad unrealistic for the time period, I cheered on the strong, independent female heroine.

I had a really hard time getting into this book, it was just too jumpy. I had a hard time focusing and remembering what I had read the day before, so I stopped reading. It has the potential for a good read and there is the potential for trying it again a different time and place.

Eliza's father is missing. Her brother does not seem that concerned about his disappearance. Her father has always meant everything to her, she can not give up on him. What clues did he leave for Eliza to find him if he should disappear? Will Eliza find him, or is it too late?

This book was different. Not what is expected. I enjoyed the journey. Kudos to the author!

Eliza and her family move to Western Australia in 1886 and her father has an idealistic vision for their move to the other side of the world. Ten years later, after her mother died in childbirth and her uncle is unable to continue with the dangerous pearling work after an accident, Eliza's father and brother continue to build a name for their family in Bannin Bay.

After an expedition, Eliza's father fails to return home but she is convinced that he is still alive despite everyone else insisting that he has died at sea. Eliza takes it upon herself to find out what really happened. What follows is a totally unique murder mystery and I was transported to the scorching landscapes of Australia through the wonderfully vivid and honest descriptions. Eliza is a fantastic and interesting character and I was pleasantly surprised with the direction the story took.

Atmospheric and well researched, this is a must read story for any historical fiction fans.

I enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction. Thanks to publisher for allowing me access to ARC. Will be on lookout for more by this author.

What could have been a compelling and fascinating book is just meh. Pook clearly has all of the ingredients for a great book here--family strife, tragedy, resilience, natural history, the history of colonization in Australia--but it never quite comes together to be interesting. The characters feel flat and simple, and the events of the novel are related in ways that keep them from contributing to a stronger narrative or character development.

First off let me express my appreciation to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
My honest opinion is that this book is much too descriptive. In the first few chapters it seemed like every single sentence was a metaphor (or simile) – some of them quite bizarre. For example, speaking about returning pearlers “hollowed eyed apparitions drifting listlessly from their ships, their visible bones just like a collection of piano keys, ready to be played.”
The never ending emphasis of the horrid smells as well as the visuals of the bodily functions of the characters was quite excessive. In fact, everything about the book was obviously over the top, denying all credibility in the plot.
I was hoping to add to my knowledge of the history of Australia, but this was not to be the case. I wish Ms. Pook well.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Eliza is worried when her fathers boat returns without him after being gone for months. Elizabeth opens many dan of worms in her quest to find out what happened to her father. This book dragged on in a few places, but I did like it.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Pearling is a major industry in late 19th century Western Australia. Divers, many of whom were brought to the area as slaves, go to great depths using lead shoes, heavy diving helmets, and compressed air to bring up shells with mother of pearl linings and beautiful pearls. The pearls become jewelry and the mother of pearl is made into fashionable buttons and other items. The work is dangerous both because of encounters with sharks and other sea creatures and also the real possibility of decompression sickness (the bends).

Charles Brightwell, an immigrant from England, has become prosperous as a pearling ship captain. When he mysteriously fails to return from a pearling trip, his strong-willed daughter takes on the task of finding him.

The author’s use of vivid description brings the reader into the story as we learn about the pearling industry and the history of the area.

I thought Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter by Lizzie Pook to be a pretty good read. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical fiction. Four stars.

Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter
by Lizzie Pook is a great historical fiction that is unique and one that I really enjoyed.

This book takes us into the heart of Western Australia at the end of the 19th century. It also encompasses so many components: mystery, suspense, history, and is really fascinating.

I really enjoyed the gripping narrative that had us following along Eliza and her dangerous and suspenseful quest into finding out what happened to her father when the ship he was on comes back to shore without him. The more she delves and investigates, the deeper she is thrown…the riskier the payoff. Is it personal…professional…neither…or something that she couldn’t even contemplate.

Take this fabulous narrative and add spot on historical detail of the pearling/diving industry at this time and the backdrop of Australia during British colonial rule, and the reader is in for a good time.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Simon & Schuster for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/14/22.

It’s a nice break to read a historical fiction book that isn’t about WWII. Set in 1886 in Australia we follow Eliza and her search for what happened to her father. I didn’t know much about pearl divers and this adventure/mystery was well written and the beautiful descriptions were amazing.

In 1886, Eliza with her family sails from London to Western Australia. Her father, as many others, is lured by the prospect of getting rich. Many come to seek their fortune in pearl shell.

The story moves to 1896 and the focus of the story is Eliza’s effort to investigate the disappearance of her father.

As the story begins, for a moment it switches between 1886 and 1896, but this is very brief and I actually hoped that it would continue throughout the whole story. With the earlier timeline, I was hoping for character-development, pearling historical background – how it was first discovered and evolved into booming industry and then its decline. I wanted to feel more the atmosphere of the place and the rush for those famous pearls, and learning about the value of the pearls itself. However, the story is mostly set in the latter time and driven by plot of solving the father’s disappearance.

This suspenseful story has a fast-pace and smooth-flow, bringing a strong female character who faces prejudice and corruption, while trying to uncover disappearance of a successful pearler.

Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter has amazing reviews already, but I found it difficult to get into. The writing was beautiful, but I thought it was a bit unsuited for what I thought was going to be a historical thriller. Not the book for me, although the author is undoubtedly talented.