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Singer family #3
Joan Makes History
Kate Grenville's wonderfully irreverent novel rewrites 200-odd years of Australia's past. Joan is a wife and mother of no great distinction, but in the life of her imagination she is in the front line of events effortlessly subverting the solemnity of momentous occasions and cheerfully altering the course of history.
279 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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257 people want to read
About the author
Kate Grenville
40 books842 followersKate Grenville is one of Australia's best-known authors. She's published eight books of fiction and four books about the writing process. Her best-known works are the international best-seller The Secret River, The Idea of Perfection, The Lieutenant and Lilian's Story (details about all Kate Grenville's books are elsewhere on this site). Her novels have won many awards both in Australia and the UK, several have been made into major feature films, and all have been translated into European and Asian languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 21, 2018
It’s Christmas time and I’ve been kind in upping two and a half stars to three.
The ‘real’ Joan, and all her imagined selves, are tall, freckled, flat chested, strong willed and want to make history. Quite what makes history is not clear.
The Joans adventure sometimes, love sometimes, run away quite often - from home, from men and from responsibility. They’re not inclined to curb their emotions, and sometimes behave badly.
The themes floated here form the backbones of Kate Grenville‘s later novels dealing with the colonization of Australia and the conquest of its Aboriginal people. Her imagined Joans include a convict woman, aboriginal women, poor women in rural isolation and, lastly, an awkward wife of a rural mayor at the celebration of the Federation in 1901.
I kept going because I thought I should, but none of the characters, including the Joans, actually engaged me. A bit flat.
The ‘real’ Joan, and all her imagined selves, are tall, freckled, flat chested, strong willed and want to make history. Quite what makes history is not clear.
The Joans adventure sometimes, love sometimes, run away quite often - from home, from men and from responsibility. They’re not inclined to curb their emotions, and sometimes behave badly.
The themes floated here form the backbones of Kate Grenville‘s later novels dealing with the colonization of Australia and the conquest of its Aboriginal people. Her imagined Joans include a convict woman, aboriginal women, poor women in rural isolation and, lastly, an awkward wife of a rural mayor at the celebration of the Federation in 1901.
I kept going because I thought I should, but none of the characters, including the Joans, actually engaged me. A bit flat.
January 3, 2012
Joan Makes History is the 3rd book by Australian author, Kate Grenville. Joan Redman(Radulescu) is a minor character from Grenville’s first novel, Lilian’s Story. From an early age, Joan has been determined to make her mark in history, and as we follow her life as she loved and was bored, betrayed and was forgiven, ran away and returned, those chapters of her life alternate with chapters that reflect or echo events in her life, and in which Grenville takes historical facts and inserts her characters into her own interpretation of events. We see James Cook’s first sighting of the Great South Land as observed by his wife; the landing of the First Fleet through the eyes of a female convict; an encounter of Bass and Flinders through the eyes of an aboriginal girl; the hardships of taming the land, seeking gold, treatment of the blacks, war and rebellion, modes of travel, bushrangers, the late 19th century depression, and Federation, all through the eyes of women present at those events. There is humour and heartache; some chapters are quite thought-provoking, others are written very much tongue-in-cheek. Irreverent and imaginative.
July 17, 2014
A book I really wanted to like. I love the premise of rewriting history (be it fiction or non-fiction) but this book was cumbersome and oddly pompous. Just as the monolithic history it was said to rewrite or at the very least challenge.Maybe it was an ingenious stylistic attempt to say something about the way history is written through mimicry and mockery but I gave up on the book after several unsuccesful attempts.
Ambitious? Yes. Promising? Yes. Profound? No.
All that said, I'm not going to give up on Greville's writing just yet. I'm quite drawn to the themes and topics she writes about and she does write with beauty and bravery. At the moment, I'm reading her debut novel Lillian's Story. While I'm still ambivalent about the characters and overall story some sentences and paragraphs are exquisite and exhilarating. Promising at the very least.
Ambitious? Yes. Promising? Yes. Profound? No.
All that said, I'm not going to give up on Greville's writing just yet. I'm quite drawn to the themes and topics she writes about and she does write with beauty and bravery. At the moment, I'm reading her debut novel Lillian's Story. While I'm still ambivalent about the characters and overall story some sentences and paragraphs are exquisite and exhilarating. Promising at the very least.
September 3, 2015
‘What a big thing this business of history is, and what absurd bits and pieces make it up.’
In many history books, women are at the periphery or somewhere in the background. They are rarely anywhere near centre stage for the big moments. A number of learned, historiographers, historians and others (often women) have written about this perplexing absence of women. It’s serious stuff.
But if you want a light-hearted look at a woman’s role in Australia’s European history, it’s hard to go past this book by Kate Grenville. In this book, Joan is present at all of the important (read famous) moments in Australia’s European history. Joan gives her own version of what happened, covering the bits that other historians have left, providing a fresh and frequently irreverent look at events.
Yes, it’s light-hearted but it invites the reader to think about who determines what is included in history, and on what basis. What is important, and to whom? Why?
Joan herself is many different women. In one chapter she is a new-born baby, in another a female convict. Joan is also a free settler, an aboriginal woman. She experiences the first landing in 1788, the search for gold in the 19th century and Federation at the beginning of the 20th.
The delivery may be light-hearted (and humorous at times) but the underlying message is important. How can we really appreciate and understand human history without knowing more about the role of women within it?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In many history books, women are at the periphery or somewhere in the background. They are rarely anywhere near centre stage for the big moments. A number of learned, historiographers, historians and others (often women) have written about this perplexing absence of women. It’s serious stuff.
But if you want a light-hearted look at a woman’s role in Australia’s European history, it’s hard to go past this book by Kate Grenville. In this book, Joan is present at all of the important (read famous) moments in Australia’s European history. Joan gives her own version of what happened, covering the bits that other historians have left, providing a fresh and frequently irreverent look at events.
Yes, it’s light-hearted but it invites the reader to think about who determines what is included in history, and on what basis. What is important, and to whom? Why?
Joan herself is many different women. In one chapter she is a new-born baby, in another a female convict. Joan is also a free settler, an aboriginal woman. She experiences the first landing in 1788, the search for gold in the 19th century and Federation at the beginning of the 20th.
The delivery may be light-hearted (and humorous at times) but the underlying message is important. How can we really appreciate and understand human history without knowing more about the role of women within it?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 20, 2022
Well written, though as others have pointed out so grandiose it's hard to have patience for much of it. For me this was disappointingly conservative. The title promises some kind of revolution as do the comments on the back but it was not so.
The history "Joan" (there are many Joans which was interesting I guess) wants to make is very masculine and white (despite the fact that at least one of the Joans was Aboriginal. They want to succeed on men's terms, to be explorers, the first at something, to outwit the rival or enemy. I didn't mind the novel challanging how problematic this is (though I think more sensitivity would have helped in some places) but I hated that the answer was to fold yourself back into heterosex essentialism, find a husband, have a baby, learn how to make scones.
Is this really all life has to offer? There were interesting possibilities when Joan experiments with lesbian sexuality and with dressing as a man. In both episodes she becomes man and learns to exploit women and view them through a male lens. The husbands of the Joans on the other hand tend to be kind, somewhat henpecked, long-suffering victims of the selfishness and narcissism of the Joans. That's a stereotype that very rarely seems to work out that way in the real world. There's also an episode where Joan has missed out on some of the intimacy she would have had if she were a better woman/wife. Again problematic.
I am not sure this book passes the Bechdel test (though it might in a mother-daughter conversation somewhere). I also felt that even though Grenville had carefully included Aboriginal characters here and there they were generally an after-thought, marginal except the Joan (who acts white and male to rebel against the other women who she views as inferior). All in all despite the beautiful attention to detail and quite a nice hissy-fit/rant by the mayor's wife near the end (she's onto something there) the book as a whole disappointed.
I will probably still read Lilian's story since that is the one everyone goes on about. I'll see how I go.
The history "Joan" (there are many Joans which was interesting I guess) wants to make is very masculine and white (despite the fact that at least one of the Joans was Aboriginal. They want to succeed on men's terms, to be explorers, the first at something, to outwit the rival or enemy. I didn't mind the novel challanging how problematic this is (though I think more sensitivity would have helped in some places) but I hated that the answer was to fold yourself back into heterosex essentialism, find a husband, have a baby, learn how to make scones.
Is this really all life has to offer? There were interesting possibilities when Joan experiments with lesbian sexuality and with dressing as a man. In both episodes she becomes man and learns to exploit women and view them through a male lens. The husbands of the Joans on the other hand tend to be kind, somewhat henpecked, long-suffering victims of the selfishness and narcissism of the Joans. That's a stereotype that very rarely seems to work out that way in the real world. There's also an episode where Joan has missed out on some of the intimacy she would have had if she were a better woman/wife. Again problematic.
I am not sure this book passes the Bechdel test (though it might in a mother-daughter conversation somewhere). I also felt that even though Grenville had carefully included Aboriginal characters here and there they were generally an after-thought, marginal except the Joan (who acts white and male to rebel against the other women who she views as inferior). All in all despite the beautiful attention to detail and quite a nice hissy-fit/rant by the mayor's wife near the end (she's onto something there) the book as a whole disappointed.
I will probably still read Lilian's story since that is the one everyone goes on about. I'll see how I go.
January 3, 2022
The prologue states that these are the stories of all the Joans throughout history and how each have "made history". Therefore, I assumed each Joan is a different person but it's not. There are 11 Scenes (chapters) where each chapter begins with a short paragraph of a certain time in Australian history and then each chapter will have 2 Joans; one from the past and one from the 'present'. The 'present' Joan is the same Joan throughout the book while the past one is a different one each chapter. I don't think this is a spoiler as I think if I knew I wouldn't be soooo confused to begin with and may even enjoy it a bit more rather than trying to figure out the above.
While this is fiction, I think it is quite realistic in the fascinating way that life truly just repeats itself. And while history books may record certain moments, there are aspects of those particular moments stored in eyewitnesses' minds which aren't.
While I found Joan frustrating in her persistent 'I will make history' attitude, the ending and epilogue made it clear that we all make history whether or not it is in the way you'd like/prefer.
While this is fiction, I think it is quite realistic in the fascinating way that life truly just repeats itself. And while history books may record certain moments, there are aspects of those particular moments stored in eyewitnesses' minds which aren't.
While I found Joan frustrating in her persistent 'I will make history' attitude, the ending and epilogue made it clear that we all make history whether or not it is in the way you'd like/prefer.
August 28, 2021
I found the idea really good: telling about Australian history from the point of view of women who might have been present: Joan on discovery ship (Cook's wife actually wasn't there, Kate Grenville wasn't trying to make it accurate, but there might have been women on ships), laundry woman during gold years, prisoner etc. They are the people a bit in the back but yet still part of the history.
I did like the story of the present Joan who was a minor character in the first Singer Family book. This one was actually interesting and I would have liked to read more of her story. But the little episodes of the Joans in the past were kind of boring for me. I liked only one, the one of Joan who run away from William. It wasn't too great but it caught my interest.
I don't think that it is because I didn't study Australian history. I read one book about it that I loved but I am of course not too familiar with it. But Kate Grenville said she wrote it for people ignorant of Australian history. It does feel like it. Not saying it in a negative way, it seems to be introducing history of Australia but in an unusual way. I just wish it was more interesting.
I did like the story of the present Joan who was a minor character in the first Singer Family book. This one was actually interesting and I would have liked to read more of her story. But the little episodes of the Joans in the past were kind of boring for me. I liked only one, the one of Joan who run away from William. It wasn't too great but it caught my interest.
I don't think that it is because I didn't study Australian history. I read one book about it that I loved but I am of course not too familiar with it. But Kate Grenville said she wrote it for people ignorant of Australian history. It does feel like it. Not saying it in a negative way, it seems to be introducing history of Australia but in an unusual way. I just wish it was more interesting.
January 23, 2025
Joan, secondary character from Lillian’s story, has her own story, but dispersed with ten alternate Joans throughout Australia’s colonial history.
This is the third of the Singer Family books from Kate Grenville.
This is the third of the Singer Family books from Kate Grenville.
July 12, 2023
Duncan deserved better. 😐
April 25, 2015
Utter delight from start to finish. Our contemporary Joan starts a journey with the heavy burden of fulfilling her destiny and ends by making peace with the common lot of womankind. The historical episodes are funny, poignant and relentlessly well crafted, with clever references to be discovered. Although bringing a feminine balance to the annals of Australian history, there is much sympathy for men with an appreciation that we all have our frailties and need love.
July 12, 2010
An engaging enough read, though it skipped about between too many characters and threads to allow me to really connect with any of them.
September 25, 2020
Liked the creativity used to tell this story.
March 11, 2019
I am considering a trip to Australia and picked this up as background reading. Although it has nothing about sightseeing, it does provide an insightful summary of the history of white people in Australia in a humorous and thoughtful manner. It is, not coincidentally, a history of women’s role in the white settlement of Australia. I would recommend this for those who want a history overview and also for those interested in how women’s history can successfully be presented in a non-didactic way.
This book made me laugh and made me cry.
Here’s a good line from the introduction written by a male colleague of Ms. Grenville’s: “it is in fiction that we often meet memorable subversions of dominant myths.” The book does an excellent job of demonstrating how Australian history was made by people not by politicians or rulers.
This book made me laugh and made me cry.
Here’s a good line from the introduction written by a male colleague of Ms. Grenville’s: “it is in fiction that we often meet memorable subversions of dominant myths.” The book does an excellent job of demonstrating how Australian history was made by people not by politicians or rulers.
March 30, 2020
Joan is all the women present in Australian history who are absent from official history: all the ordinary women, the invisible women - the Other to the males who make up Australian history.
This is a necessary read. Kate Grenville writes women into history and gives them their rightful place. Joan's story is interspersed with disparate stories of other Joans (Joan alongside Captain Cook, Joan the convict, Joan the Aboriginal woman and the many other Joans of our past). This is utterly like anything else I've read, the narrative form is complex and unusual, but the voice is unmistakably Grenville -- unsentimental, irreverent, clever and unsettling.
Very clever writing. If you are interested in Australian history, this is definitely one for you!
This is a necessary read. Kate Grenville writes women into history and gives them their rightful place. Joan's story is interspersed with disparate stories of other Joans (Joan alongside Captain Cook, Joan the convict, Joan the Aboriginal woman and the many other Joans of our past). This is utterly like anything else I've read, the narrative form is complex and unusual, but the voice is unmistakably Grenville -- unsentimental, irreverent, clever and unsettling.
Very clever writing. If you are interested in Australian history, this is definitely one for you!
October 28, 2022
3.5 stars
I wanted to love this but I really felt just half-hearted about it. The author seemed to equate all women's experience to have to do with sex. I just felt the book would have been stronger with less emphasis on this aspect.
The premise of the book is that we all make history, and in particular, that women are the forgotten makers of history.
"What of those who lived here before us? What of all the people who will melt away like mud when they die, remembered in no book of history?"
It reminded me of Orlando, in that Joan encompasses the history of Australia over two centuries, spending time as both a woman and a woman dressed as a man (she doesn't actually change sex though).
Interesting, but didn't grab me as I was hoping it would.
I wanted to love this but I really felt just half-hearted about it. The author seemed to equate all women's experience to have to do with sex. I just felt the book would have been stronger with less emphasis on this aspect.
The premise of the book is that we all make history, and in particular, that women are the forgotten makers of history.
"What of those who lived here before us? What of all the people who will melt away like mud when they die, remembered in no book of history?"
It reminded me of Orlando, in that Joan encompasses the history of Australia over two centuries, spending time as both a woman and a woman dressed as a man (she doesn't actually change sex though).
Interesting, but didn't grab me as I was hoping it would.
August 22, 2022
I found this a rather curious book, but quite enjoyable. The chapters alternate between the central character's own story, and her imagining herself observing or participating in various historical events in Australia's history since the arrival of the British to claim and colonise the continent.
It was published in 1988, the bicentennial year of the arrival of the First Fleet and the beginning of the colony which became Sydney. Grenville's book makes the point that the way our history is told means that the many "little people", especially women, are not deemed worthy of mention in our histories, but that they were there and a part of what happened.
It was published in 1988, the bicentennial year of the arrival of the First Fleet and the beginning of the colony which became Sydney. Grenville's book makes the point that the way our history is told means that the many "little people", especially women, are not deemed worthy of mention in our histories, but that they were there and a part of what happened.
May 4, 2024
Joan Makes History follows the many iterations of Joan, the daughter of immigrants, the washer woman to the gentry, the aboriginal woman, all wanting to make their place in History. Some stories continue, others are a single event but all have the same burning desire to be more.
While I enjoyed the premise of the story, I found many Joan’s to be self-absorbed and self-important. Not the type of person I can relate to or understand. But the backdrop of Australian history kept me reading and in the end I’m glad I took the time, thought I won’t go back for another read.
While I enjoyed the premise of the story, I found many Joan’s to be self-absorbed and self-important. Not the type of person I can relate to or understand. But the backdrop of Australian history kept me reading and in the end I’m glad I took the time, thought I won’t go back for another read.
November 1, 2023
A wonderful series of stories about women called Joan, spanning many generations and linked by a continuing story about a woman looking for meaning in her life, who realises her purpose has been under her nose all along. Some wonderful writing from this master story teller in one of her earlier books.
July 22, 2019
I generally liked this book but I don't think I understood the narrative flow, which takes away from its central message. Not an easy beach read (like I tried) but rather a book to ready quietly and contemplate.
March 16, 2021
I liked this, but didn't love it like I loved some of Kate Grenville's other books such as The Secret River. Joan was an engaging character, but some of the scenarios just didn't pique my interest. In short, some of the parts were better than the sum of the book.
September 13, 2022
Grenville gives an honest voice to the untold histories of women in Australia. She explores issues of gender, gentry and race. She makes the reader consider their understanding of Australian history and the role of women within it.
Thought provoking, yet entertaining read.
Thought provoking, yet entertaining read.
April 6, 2021
I could not get into this book at all. It was all over the place. I gave up at the third chapter.
March 18, 2023
This was a fun read; yes an irreverent read on history and our place in it.
July 19, 2023
how does she not like Duncan?
July 19, 2025
review to come
January 5, 2013
Not Kate's best book. The book was all over the place telling about different Joans in Australian history. I couldn't enjoy the storyline although the main one was OK, the others broke in to it & for me, detracted from the main plot for no purpose. I did not get the point.
Also, the reader, though a good one, for me, did not suit the book.
Also, the reader, though a good one, for me, did not suit the book.
March 1, 2014
Really dated attempt at 'female empowerment', or 'female recognition' in a montage of 'his-story'. The book just comes across as... embarrassing. I'm guessing it was for a cheap and tacky YA market, but who'd read it today and seriously think about publishing it? Maybe it did something in its time, but I doubt it. Books that are truly meaningful in their time, are always so.
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July 25, 2011Really unique look through our history but I'm undecided as to whether it really works for me or not. Some of stories were beautiful and moving with really tender moments but some I don't hink I fully "got".
April 22, 2015
A different way of looking at the history of Australia and from a woman's point of view, or perhaps I should say women because Joan isn't one woman. She represents women through various events which made Australia what it is today.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews