Engrossing historical tale

THE LAST CONVICT

Author: Anthony Hill Publisher: Penguin/ Random House RRP: $32.99 Reviewer: Mary Ann Elliott

AWARD-WINNING author Anthony Hill gives us another engrossing historical novel, following his earlier enthralling story of Captain Cook’s voyage to Australia, as seen through the eager eyes of a cabin boy, Isaac.

As with his earlier books and their characters, Hill brings to life another personality with his customary flair and vivid detail, this time from the more recent past.

The injustice of Samuel’s circumstances and unfair trial inspired Hill to write this exciting and enlightening tale of adventure and discovery told from the perspective of Australia’s last living convict, Samuel Speed.

Playing a large role in shaping future Australians and our culture, more than 160,000 convicts were deported from Britain for mostly petty crimes between 1788 and 1868. One night 18-year-old Samuel and a friend deliberately set fire to a haystack in England, seeking a prison sentence in their desperate need for food and shelter. Although doing hard labour, Samuel was fed and housed, preceding a rough voyage to Australia. Finally released as a free man, and working in labouring jobs, he spent his final years in a government-run men’s home in Perth, dying in his mid-90s. During this time, reading became his great joy and comfort.

Samuel’s interview with a Perth journalist in 1938 a few months before his death, together with the author’s meticulous research over 16 years, including court transcripts, is the basis for Hill’s thoroughly engrossing story.