The Colour

My friend, Jenny Pringle, lent me this book by Rose Tremain. It was a marvelous read, and I found it hard to put the book down.

In The Colour, Joseph and Harriet Blackstone are newlyweds from England, but have come to New Zealand in search of new beginnings and prosperity. It is soon evident that the marriage is one of convenience and that both man and wife barely even like each other. They buy a little bit of land near Christchurch and build a shack to live in. When Joseph finds some gold, called "the colour," in the creek by the farm, he hides it with without telling Harriet. When he can't make a living from the farm, he heads for the gold fields on the other side of the mountains, leaving Harriet behind. After a series of mishaps at the farm, Harriet takes the dog and sets off in search of him. The reader is certainly given a peek at the harsh and bleak conditions one must have gone through during the gold rush times in New Zealand.

I am now a fan of Rose Tremain, and am looking forward to reading her other books (Music and Silence, Sacred Country, Restoration and The Colonel's Daughter). IF any of you have enjoyed books by Jenny Patrick, then I am sure you will enjoy this book.