Mary's Guardian (Turning the Tide, #1).

Turning the Tide #1

by Carol Preston

Carol Preston uses historical research and real characters to create an understanding of life as a convict. William is transported to Australia, after years on the streets. Clinging to the hope of a better life, he looks for possibility in an unknown country. But being a convict isn't easy. When William finds and surprises young Mary with a proposal, their life together begins. Their journey from convict to family life is anything but happily ever after. Through grief, floods, triumphs, friendships, love and faith they grow in the harsh new country. A fictionalised story based on actual events and characters in early settler history.

Genres: Historical Fiction

226 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Carol was born in Lithgow, NSW in 1948, and moved to the Illawarra at the age of five. In 1967 she married Neil Preston in Wollongong, where their two children, Tammy and Adam were born. Carol returned to study in 1976, and completed a PhD at Wollongong University in 1986, publishing numerous academic articles in psychological journals during that time. She had a counselling practice for 20 years until retiring in October 2017. One of Carol’s hobbies over many years has been family history research. It was this research which started Carol on the journey of writing novels. She has great admiration for the lives of her ancestors in Australia and has greatly enjoyed writing novels based on their stories and the inspiring history of the Australian people. She has written a trilogy about the Oakes Family; Suzannah’s Gold, Rebecca’s Dream and The Price of Peace, which takes the reader from 1838 when her great great grandmother, Suzannah Casey was transported from Ireland, through to the end of the First World War. Carol’s fourth novel, The Face of Forgiveness, is about two young Irish women who were transported to Australia in 1839 where they face two very different futures. Mary’s Guardian and Charlotte’s Angel are Carol’s fifth and sixth novels. These begin a series which begins with the First Fleet of convicts to Australian in 1788 and focuses on the fate of those who were Australia’s first white settlers. Tangled Secrets and Truly Free are the 3rd and 4th in this series. Next of Kin and Beyond the Fight are Carol's 9th and 10th novels and continue the story of her ancestors in Northern NSW.

Reviews

[Michelle]

MARY’S GUARDIAN follows William and Mary, through the struggles and turmoil of life in early Australia. They are separated and jailed in England before travelling with the first fleet of convicts to Sydney Cove. When they arrive, they are reunited and work hard to find their place in this harsh new country. Mary and Williams struggles go beyond setting up house and a farm. Starting a family for them is anything but a natural progression. Read more here... http://michelledevans.blogspot.com/20...

[Lynne Stringer]

I enjoy reading historical fiction and this series is even more interesting than most, as it's based, not only on Australia's colonial days, but on Carol Preston's own family history. She's taken a little poetic license to fill in the gaps, but the people were real and the situations they find themselves in have clearly been well researched by the author. The tale of two convicts overcoming their past to make a life in a new country is not an uncommon theme, but it is well done here, providing an entertaining novel steeped in history.
 

[Omega Writers]

Three reviews from our CALEB reviewers:

(1)
This is the first in an absorbing family saga, set in the very beginnings of Australian Colonial history. It traces the lives of William and Mary, who arrive in Australia as convicts but who, after their emancipation, become upstanding citizens of the new colony. Preston draws us into the heart of farming communities along the Hawkesbury River and, in particular, into the lives of people who have realised the full potential of a second chance. God can take the most rebellious heart and fill it with love, joy and peace. A must read for fans of historical fiction. WN

(2)
This is a good story, and is well told. I think that the cover needs some adjustments. The illustration could have more colour and detail, and focus on the setting of the plot. The title should have a stronger impact than the author’s name.

Bookseller’s Choice – reviewer CALEB Prize

(3)
Although Mary’s Guardian is historical fiction it relates the true story of life in England in the years preceding the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia in 1788. It also details life in the fledgling colony for the first decades of our existence.

Carol Preston has done her research well and Mary’s Guardian tells of the great sacrifice and personal integrity of a few at one end of the spectrum while at the other end was utter depravity and dishonesty. On these foundations our great nation was established.

Mary’s Guardian is the story of William and Mary who defy the odds and make good in a harsh land that was little understood by the English settlers. The unrelenting floods; the loss of crops and livestock year after the year; the corrupt rum trade; the heartbreak at the loss of young lives were able to be borne only by looking forward and believing that life would be easier for their children.

Even if one is not a descendant of convict stock, Mary’s Guardian is an easily read book. However, if one’s ancestry does stretch back to our colonial days it is almost essential reading so as to understand our roots. DS

[Paula Vince]

This book is a must-read for any Aussie who has enjoyed reading the abundance of American historical, frontier-style fiction available on our market. There is nowhere near as much authentic Australian material and truly needs to be, as the history of our Great Southland is equally rich and colourful. Carol Preston has taken upon herself the job of researching her family tree in early settler times to bring us an awesome story based on true people and facts.

Written as a fictionalised account, we get to share first-hand the gruelling journey aboard a convict ship, the challenge of setting up subsistence living in a land which is hotter and harsher than anything anybody had imagined and the heartache of losing beloved babies in a time of scanty medical development. The wonderful descriptions of our wide, sunburned land can only have been written by an Aussie who lives here and knows what she is talking about.

Her characters are the lovable type who I find can't help rubbing off on our own attitudes and making us better people. The hero, William Douglass' staunch optimism has an input on his fellow characters from the 1700s and modern readers alike. His sweetheart and later wife, Mary, is so easy to relate to and understand that we can't help loving her. I appreciated it that her emotional ups and downs were written so convincingly that she shone through.

[Ruth Bonetti]

A book for those interested in early Australian history. For me, Kate Grenville has set a high bar, for her wonderful imagery, painting of landscape and subtle handling of dialect in The Secret River written about similar colonial times. But Preston's main characters were rather well portrayed, especially in the opening chapters though more sketchy with the next generation. The message of faith is quite inspirational, not heavy handed.

[Rose Dee]

Australian history told with heart. Looking forward to the next instalment from the series.

[Jenny Arthur]

I loved this book, I found it an eye opening and interesting account of how people lived in early Australian settlement.

[Rheta]

Good insight into how difficult it was to establish a settlement