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334th out of 1,136 books
—
1,081 voters
Golden Urchin
In the scorching Australlian Desert, A wild beautiful woman recues a man from death... He was a handsome English aristocrat, sprawled in the dunes, dying of thirst. She was a white skinned savage, fleeing the aborigine tribe that found her and raised her but still shunned the fiery haired outcast.
Suddenly Meg is aboout to escape her primitive life as Luke introduces her to...more
Suddenly Meg is aboout to escape her primitive life as Luke introduces her to...more
Published
(first published 1986)
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Mar 10, 2008
Linda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Adventure lovers
Recommended to Linda by:
Vanessa H.
Shelves:
historicals
I try to balance my reading with fiction, non-fiction, and fluff. Fluff being fun, escapist books that are fast to read and...well, you know. Madeleine Brent fills the bill. She is really a he named Peter O'Donnell, a British writer famous for his Modesty Blaise books. He wanted to break into the American market, so he decided that romance novels were the way to go. His/her romances are more adventure novels and don't have explicit sex in them. Golden Urchin is one of my favorites. A little girl...more
Somebody recommended these books recently when I wrote a blog post about romantic adventure. This book is so much fun!
I haven't had so much sheer reading fun for ages. At the start, Meg is a reject from the aboriginal tribe she was adopted by. Because she's white, she's a non-person, and no one will willingly touch her. So she runs away, stumbles across the aftermath of a gunfight.
One of the combatants is alive, so she saves him . . . he turns out to be a rancher. He takes her home to his lovel...more
I haven't had so much sheer reading fun for ages. At the start, Meg is a reject from the aboriginal tribe she was adopted by. Because she's white, she's a non-person, and no one will willingly touch her. So she runs away, stumbles across the aftermath of a gunfight.
One of the combatants is alive, so she saves him . . . he turns out to be a rancher. He takes her home to his lovel...more
)
I'll have to admit that this book is not my usual genre. I usually read paranormal, sci/fi. Futuristic (Hot romance stuff). While flipping through suggestions I saw this and it sounded intriguing. I really couldn't stop reading, except when I HAD to sleep. Loved it. Now I'm giving it to my daughter to read. I laughed, I cried, I got quite frustrated at some of the characters at times. And the mysteries...don't get me started, I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who likes to read, eve...more
I'll have to admit that this book is not my usual genre. I usually read paranormal, sci/fi. Futuristic (Hot romance stuff). While flipping through suggestions I saw this and it sounded intriguing. I really couldn't stop reading, except when I HAD to sleep. Loved it. Now I'm giving it to my daughter to read. I laughed, I cried, I got quite frustrated at some of the characters at times. And the mysteries...don't get me started, I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who likes to read, eve...more
Feb 11, 2013
Alyson
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Alyson by:
Heidi
I went through this in record time, so there was a lot about it that I liked. However, it was also overwrought—filled with situations and events that would never actually happen, let alone all of them to a single individual. I know for some people this makes great reading; for me it is exhausting in its unbelievability.
The writing was good, the pace was good, the characters (especially the protagonist Meg) were all very likeable and well-drawn. And even the unbelievable parts were, at minimum, s...more
The writing was good, the pace was good, the characters (especially the protagonist Meg) were all very likeable and well-drawn. And even the unbelievable parts were, at minimum, s...more
This is the first of the Madeleine Brent books I ever read. Mitji is the white orphan child taken in by a tribe of Aborigines in the Austrailian outback, but after a falling out with one of her closest friends in the tribe, Mitji decides to leave the tribe in search of her own kind, the white people. She becomes Meg, the young English lady who wins the heart of a kindly couple in Perth and finds out that she in the heiress to a grand fortune. There's no sense in spilling a drop of the complex, r...more
This is a historical romance about Meg, a British girl who was raised in the outback by the tribe of Australian Aborigines. After a chance meeting, a rancher and his wife take her in and educate her. An attempt on her life leads to questions about her past, and Meg learns that her outback instincts can be just as valuable in civilization as they were in the desert where she grew up.
It's a predictable but entertaining story with a lot of adventure and travel. There were some aspects of the romanc...more
It's a predictable but entertaining story with a lot of adventure and travel. There were some aspects of the romanc...more
Predictable, yes, as all Brent books are, but I love MB and this book. I think this one is one of my favorites of hers/his. All of the books Peter Odonnell wrote under this name have strong, moral heroines with something that sets them apart from everyone else and helps them bring something to the table no one else could ever do. Love this book in particular because of Meg, the heroine. She's down to earth for someone raised by aborigines till she was 15 then thrown into a world of murder, greed...more
This is the second of Madeleine Brent's books that I have read. Brent definitely follows a formula, but the situation was so different it made it a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this book. I love the characters in these books. They're some of the best I've read. This book is about a young girl who grows up as an aborigine in the Australian outback. She was found by her tribe when she was young and doesn't fit in because she has red hair and white skin. She can't stand it after a while and leaves...more
I really enjoyed this book. Sure, there is no way that everything in there could happen to one person, but that didn't bother me. It was a fast paced read, just bringing in things to keep you going. There is enough adventure, and yes some romance, to just enjoy. It starts out in Australia and moves into England, following the life of a teenage girl discovering who she is. The only bad thing, is from my understanding, the book is out of print so it could be hard to find, unless your library has g...more
My good friend Julie Larsen clued me in to this author and I think I have now read all of hers. (Actually, Madeleine Brent is a pen name for Peter O'Donnel. I guess he was not so keen on writing some Gothic romance novel, which is how he started.) Anyway, this is my favorite of his/her books. I wouldn't mind owning a copy but they are all out of print. Just a well written story about a girl, a guy, the possibility of love in the Australian outback, and some bad guys. What could be better than th...more
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Quite a fun book and I know it would have been one of my favorites had I read it in my youth. For now, it didn't quite grasp me as other books have. But it was still well written and a great plot idea..but had the major problem of not getting together with the romantic lead until the last 2 pages...That bugs me. But it was quite the fun, adventurous book...reminded me of Quigly Down Under, one of my fave movies growing up, but a lot classier. :) Ha ha.
I loved the main character, Meg, Mitji, Red. I thought it was a very intriguing twist to have her grow up as an aborigine. She was fantastic. I liked how the 'bad guys' kept changing and revealing their true colors. That was quite a change of pace! I did not, however, enjoy the romance at all. This novel did not thrill me or particularly draw me in. I would say that overall, it was an okay book.
Though similar to "Moonraker's Bride", as the main character is an English girl orphan being raised in a different country, I thought this book was even better. The story line was less predictable and the main character wasn't as oblivious to certain clues about her life. Great story. I will have to try some more of Brent's books.
Madeleine Brent's heroines are always spectacular! This one is no exception. Kidnapped, then abandoned, and finally raised by aborigines in the outback of Australia, Meg is finally returned to civilization, only to discover that someone powerful wants her dead. Wonderful mystery. Wonderful characters. Madeleine Brent's book live!
Loved this book. It always kept me interested as I followed the story of an Aborigine girl and her struggles to fit in and stay alive. It didn't end the way I expected, it turned out better than I expected. It gets better the closer to the end you get. I am so glad I read this, I really enjoyed it.
Borrowed this from my sister-in-law in Virginia, and read entirely on my flights back to Oregon in one day. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Takes place in Australia and England about a young white girl raised by Aborigines and her return to her original roots. Entertaining. First Brent book I've read.
I wish my library had more of this author. This is an older gothic style romance and I liked it. I have heard good things about this author so I looked her up. I understand one of the best of this author is Moonraker's bride but I will have to see if I can find it elsewhere.
This is my second Madeleine Brent novel. Merlins keep was my introduction to Brent. Golden urchin was a great read a bit predictable yes but a great adventure. I loved the heroine, I think we would all like a bit of meg/mitji/red in us.
Just a fun, entertaining mystery/romance novel...squeaky clean I might add. Escape back in time to the late 1800s? for a dose of history and some fascinating cultural knowledge along the way. One of my favorite recent reads.
Don't judge a book by it's cover. A sweeping tale about a young girl raised by aborigines then escaped and brought to civilization. A great love story too. LOVED IT. Oh and it takes place in Australia, so win win.
I'm a big fan of this author, though this wasn't my favorite book of his. I felt it had kind of a predictable storyline if you're familiar with his other books. Not a bad read though.
Very formulaic, it takes place in the Australian Outback and ends in Africa. There were some interesting moments, but not as like-able as Moonraker's Bride, but better than Stormswift. I like Brent's heroine's and the books are always clean. It did keep my interest during a very long swim meet and the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Nice, undemanding summer read.
This book follows the pattern of the other books I have read by Brent. She does add twists and turns that keep the story interesting. An easy and fun read, but definately a 'Chick' book.
This book was very entertaining. I agree with my friend Monae that there were some characters who were not quite believable. However, I'd recommend it to anyone who wants an engaging plot.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved when Meg was Mitji. I would love to be a strong, confident, women of survival. It was full of adventure. It was fun to read
This was our book club book. There were a lot of questionable parts in here. I thought the story was good, but predictable. I liked the ending.
This is a wonderful romance and adventure about a English child stolen at birth in Australia and brought up by aborigines. The characters are interesting and sympathetic, and the story is imaginative and well-told.
What a fun book! Perfect for summertime. A wonderful adventure/mystery that I wouldn't mind reading again sometime.
Irish girl, kidnapped in Australia and trying to be raised by aborinies. Left tribe to live with white people.
My female family's favorite from 18 years ago! I loved all her books... historical romance feminine hero.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| The girl on the cover | 1 | 7 | Mar 16, 2012 07:37pm |
Madeleine Brent is a pseudonym used by Peter O'Donnell.
Peter O'Donnell was born on 11 April 1920 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was interested in writing as a child, and began writing professionally at the age of 16. During World War II he served in the Royal Signals Corps, and was stationed in Persia, Syria, Egypt, the Western Desert, Italy, and Greece. After the war, he worked as a comic s...more
More about Madeleine Brent...
Peter O'Donnell was born on 11 April 1920 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was interested in writing as a child, and began writing professionally at the age of 16. During World War II he served in the Royal Signals Corps, and was stationed in Persia, Syria, Egypt, the Western Desert, Italy, and Greece. After the war, he worked as a comic s...more
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