Inheritance

by Carole Wilkinson

Nic is left in the care of her grandfather at the remote family property that was once her mother’s childhood home; a place with thirty rooms, three dogs and no mobile reception. Left to her own devices, Nic searches for clues about her mother – who died the day Nic was born. But what Nic discovers is so much more than she could have imagined. A dark and shocking secret that haunts the land and the people who live there.

Genres: Historical, Family, Friendship, Australia

240 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2018

About the author

Carole was born in England in 1950. Her family moved to Australia when she was 12. She now lives in Melbourne, with her husband John.
Carole didn't start writing until she was nearly 40. Before that, she worked as a laboratory assistant, working with a lot of blood and brains. Once she’d decided to try and become a writer, she went to university. She wrote a lot while she was there including her first novel. She showed it to a friend who worked in publishing who asked if she could write a teenage novel. Her first published book was based on something her daughter, who was at high school at the time, was doing.


Carole says she has lots of ideas and so far she’s never had 'writers' block'. She might have got a late start, but she’s been trying to make up for lost time and has written more than 30 books, some short stories, a telemovie and some TV and planetarium scripts.

Reviews

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travelling stories are not normally my cup of tea, but this is an excellent and important story for all young Australians. Filled with historical detail and thought provoking ideas, this will be a great Book Chat book for upper primary. As Elspeth in the book says, ‘we must learn from the past and ensure that things are not forgotten, mistakes are not repeated.’ (p. 180)

[Dimity Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gentle tale about almost-abandoned, spirited young teen, Nic's adventures through time paints a vivid and revealing picture of Australia's earliest history, before her settler days. With time on her hands and zero access to the modern world, Nic's curiosity and tenacious, can-do attitude allow her to gain access not only to the secrets of her ancestry but also some of Australia's darkest past secrets. Written with dignity and insight for the Indigenous peoples of the land upon which Nic's ancestors settled, this story makes satisfying reading for history hungry 9 - 13-year-olds.

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel, the horrible truth of Australia’s history, school sport. What a great time.

[Trisha]

Thoughtful & immersive

[Gabrielle Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Age: 12-14) Themes: Australian History, Aboriginal peoples, Time Travel, Family Histories.
Highly recommended.
“Generations of women in my family have been able to time travel….” Nic (Veronica) tries to explain to her only friend in her new town, Strathmartin. Keeping a secret like this is proving difficult for a lonely girl who has been left to live with her Grandfather on a very remote farm. She is at a new school, a situation with which she is very familiar having been to numerous schools over her childhood after losing her mother at birth and having a father who’s music career has taken precedence over raising his daughter. To her dismay the townspeople seem to be holding a grudge because of the actions of her wealthy ancestors who grew up in the area. Thinking her mother is dead and wanting to find out more about her family she stumbles onto the “isching”, as one relative calls it, which enables her to travel back in time. Her grandfather objects to her “travelling” but this does not deter her as she searches desperately for the answers to the many questions about her family.
Written mostly in the first person this novel also has several chapters written by her relatives and other characters, which allows the author to round out this extraordinary story. The theme of conflict between Aboriginal people and early settlers runs through the story. Nic’s journeys into the past lead her to believe her mission is to prevent the slaughter of a local Aboriginal tribe and this theme will provide valuable discussions in History classes.
A very enjoyable book with lots of opportunities to study Australia’s early history. The detail included by the author about sourcing evidence and Primary sources for Historical study will also prove valuable in schools.

[Meredith Resce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. It is pitched for young adult, but as an older reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I’m always fascinated with time travelling elements, and that this was set in Australia, and going through various time periods, was an engaging idea. I loved the secondary thread of the family gift of time travel, where women from various time zones met and connected in meaningful ways. The very troubling theme of the aboriginal massacre was an interesting place to keep revisiting. I would recommend this book for all teachers who love to teach History, and give the students vicarious experience in understanding that our history in Australia was more than just from White settlement. Occasionally found her change of tense with different characters, a little disconcerting, but that is a very minor criticism.

[AD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hooked me right from the start. Nic is left with her grandfather at his dilapidated old homestead in country Victoria. She thinks she’ll be bored without her city friends and the technology to connect with them, but an amazing discovery ensures she couldn’t possibly be bored! Nic uncovers an incredible inheritance - the ability to time travel! And with this ability she learns more about the history of her family, the grand old house, and the dark truths about the former inhabitants than she could have imagined.
A powerful and important time-travelling/fantasy/historical novel.

[Melinda Szymanik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an ARC of this book. I found the historical elements really interesting, but the pace was uneven and the cast of characters at times confusing. By the conclusion of the book several threads were either completely unresolved or were resolved too easily/quickly. I'm not sure if these were addressed before final publication. I mean - what happened to Jessie?? The story had power though and the themes of settler attitudes toward indigenous people and how past wrongs can be addressed are valuable for today's young readers. 3.5 stars for me.

[Cheongna Dalton]

Nic is left in the care of her grandfather at the remote family property that was once her mother’s childhood home; a place with thirty rooms, three dogs and no mobile reception. Left to her own devices, Nic searches for clues about her mother – who died the day Nic was born. But what Nic discovers is so much more than she could have imagined. A dark and shocking secret that haunts the land and the people who live there.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and fascinating. A story of time travel to points in Australian history is cleverly distilled to focus on one town and one property where a story of conflict and massacre of indigenous is revealed. The voices of Nic and her ancestors are crafted well. Fast paced and adventurous, the accuracy in the details such as characters using Trove and searching for primary sources helps tick every box to make it perfect for middle school readers now.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travelling back through her family’s history forces Nic to face unhappy truths and traumatic times. Aboriginal history is lost to the current community of the rural Victorian town Nic finds herself a part of - but Scottish travelling stones are about to change all that. This book covers many themes and imparts a strong sense of how going back in time can provide enlightenment, knowledge and a path to accepting the present. A fascinating tale well worth the read.

[Lizabeth Howson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time-slip narrative is an engaging read for 12-14 year olds. It sensitivity recounts an Aboriginal massacre through the eyes of Nic, a plucky teen coping with a distant father, an uncommunicative grandfather and few friends. The sections that are back in time are told in the present tense, which may grate, but is a good differentiation from the rest of the story. Teachable for sure.

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting concept which was well executed with sensitivity readers appropriate to the subject. There do need to be more books about this, with the level of detail the author has put into her research.

Felt a little hollow and unfinished in places, but that's probably more realistic than real life anyway.

[Amanda Woolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly written story of time travel that sheds light on the horrors of the past and delves into how although we can not change what has happened we can acknowledge it and try our best to make better choices going forward. Keep the tissues handy, there is sure to be tears 😢

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is brilliant, such a great idea. But unfortunately I really found the writing a bit charmless.

[Jessica Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice balance of history, time travel, and reflection on past wrongs. Gorgeous cover on it too, points for that.

[Jado · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. Ugh too complicated and just no.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great holiday read and one I’ll def pass to my kids - an important story, beautifully told

[Biggie Rections · Rating 1 out of 5]

THE WORST BOOK I HAVE EVERY READ!!!!!!!!!! IT IS SO BAD WOULDNT RECCOMEND ONE BIT!!!! NOT WORTH THE TIME OR MONEY!!!!

[Isabelle L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing

[Jessica Maree · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://jessjustreads.com

Inheritance by Carole Wilkinson is a historical fiction novel perfect for Australian readers aged approximately 10-12.

This book is not at all what I thought it was going to be, judging by the blurb above. Yes, it’s a novel about time travel. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about massacre and racism and understanding the mistakes of the past.

Inheritance sheds light on the shameful events in Australian history. This book would make a good classroom discussion for primary school children, using it to launch conversations around the history of Australia and the treatment of aboriginals by white people.

“My eyes were still adjusting to the sudden change from absolute darkness to brilliant daylight. In the distance, among all the yellow, I could see dark out-of-focus shapes. I blinked. One of the shapes changed. I heard a sound. It took me a while to realise it was a voice. The other shapes changed, becoming taller and thinner. They were people. Women.”

Teenager Nic Gervase lives in the present-day timeline and lives in regional Victoria. Her fathers on a cruise ship and has left her to live with her maternal grandfather. She stumbles upon a way to travel back in time, and discovers the shocking truth about what life was like back then.

Inheritance confronts the massacre of the local Gulidjan people in 1839. At times, the content in the book is a little shocking but it’s based on true events and it’s important for young readers to know the history of Australia.

“The men stared at me with curiosity, not fear. One of them spoke. The sounds made no sense to me. I couldn't even recognise them as words. He seemed to be talking to the women. Then the men turned and ran off, their spears held high.”

At times, the vocabulary, sentence structure and prose felt a little too young for the audience but the concept of time travel is so interesting that I think it will entice and engage young readers’ minds.

I recommend this to young readers intrigued by historical fiction and Australian history.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[yutong ꕤ · Rating 2 out of 5]

the pacing was extremely slow and hard to read for the first 50 or so pages, however the plot and meaning behind the book was displayed well. i liked the character development of nic and how she learns eventually that not only is the past important, but the present is important too. originally read this for an english essay, but still an enjoyable read

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book about the TRUTH of what really happened between the early settlers and the Aboriginal people.

[St Stephen's C C]

Nic is left in the care of her grandfather at the remote family property that was once her mother’s childhood home; a place with thirty rooms, three dogs and no mobile reception. Left to her own devices, she searches for clues about her mother – who died the day Nic was born.
But when Nic learns how to slip through time, she discovers more than she could have imagined. The past holds a dark and shocking secret that haunts the land and the people who live there.