Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter

Lizzie Pook

16 March 2023
9781035027965
304 pages

Synopsis

'Beautifully written, unflinching and brimming with adventure' – Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne and Elektra

'Immersive storytelling, a rollicking mystery and a take-no-prisoners heroine' – Stylist


1896, Bannin Bay, Australia. When British pearl-boat captain Charles Brightwell goes missing out at sea, rumours of mutiny and murder swell within the bay's dens and back alleys. Only his headstrong daughter, Eliza, refuses to believe her father is dead, and sets out on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth.

But in a town teeming with corruption, prejudice, and blackmail, Eliza soon learns that the answers she seeks might cost more than pearls. How much is she willing to sacrifice to find them?

'Both a breathtaking adventure story and a moving testimony to the lengths we go to for the people we love, it swept me away from the first page' – Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

Times Best Historical Fiction Pick of 2022
A Woman & Home Best Book of 2022
Stylist Top Pick for 2022
Shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award 2022 and the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize 2022

Compelling, fiercely feminist, and atmospheric, Lizzie Pook's Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter is a truly mesmerising novel.

Immersive storytelling, a rollicking mystery and a take-no-prisoners heroine
Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter is a gorgeous debut. Both a breathtaking adventure story and a moving testimony to the lengths we go to for the people we love, it swept me away from the first page . . . A gleaming achievement
A lively tale with a gutsy, likeable heroine