Book Review: A Good Arriving by David McRobbie
Bestselling Australian Author’s Historical Fiction Novel for Teens
Aug 23, 2008
Set in England in 1830, A Good Arriving (Puffin, 2008) highlights the desperation of the country’s poor workers and how they looked to the colonies for a new life.
Pretty Helen Fellowes, the oldest daughter of English farmer, has grown up in the shadow of the “big house” Coylton Grange. When the Duke decides to open up the land and remove the small farms, Helen must take a position as Under Housemaid at Coylton Grange, while her family moves north to Bradford to seek work.
At Coylton Grange Helen encounters young chimneysweep Ben Colfort, who has run away from his abusive employer, and helps him escape to a new life in London. However a meeting with the Duke’s son Edward finds Helen in a difficult situation and she must leave.
Reunited with her family in Bradford, she discovers that the poverty of the time has struck them, and she takes a job as nanny to a young surgeon and his wife. Mr Elliott seems to be sympathetic to her family’s plight, but Helen discovers his true character when they are forced to immigrate to New South Wales.
A Good Novel for Australian History Students
In A Good Arriving, McRobbie touches on many of the issues that led to the mass immigration to Australia throughout the 19th century. The effects of the Industrial Revolution are shown through the farming life of the Fellowes family and the harsh conditions in the Bradford cotton mills. Subjects such as child labour, class differences and the transportation of convicts are also covered.
These glimpses of history are woven through the story of Helen and Ben, with Helen being the more developed character. As such, the book may hold more appeal to teenage girls, particularly with the emphasis that is placed on her romantic attachments.
Author of Best-selling Australian Children’s and Young Adult Novels
David McRobbie has written over 30 titles for children and teenagers. The thriller See How They Run (Penguin, 1994) was made into a successful BBC/ABC series, and other titles such as the Wayne series and Fergus McPhail (Puffin, 2003) have also been adapted for television. McRobbie’s Young Adult novel Tyro (Puffin, 1999) was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year Award for Older Readers.
A Simply Told Story for Teen Readers
A Good Arriving lacks the rich descriptive prose which is often a characteristic of adult historical fiction; however this makes the writing more accessible to teenage readers. The plot is straight-forward without being predictable, and Helen is quite a modern heroine with her strength of character and high principles.
While some of the themes may be a little adult for younger readers, A Good Arriving is a well written novel for older teens that are studying Australian history.
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