A Room Made of Leaves

 A Room Made of Leaves (July, 2020) - Kate Grenville


what if
official history
only shares
threads
of an iconic Australian story

what if
that iconic Australian story
omits and
twists
vital
threads
for no reasons other than
social limitations
meeting the standards of official scrutiny
and acceptable public mannerisms
especially if you happen to be
female

what if
we ask
John Macarthur's wife Elizabeth

what did you see
what did you hear
what did you understand
how did you feel
about beginning
a new life
in a new world
and how did you adapt

would that
kickstart
a new edition
of old history

and finally

what if
the real
pioneer of wool in Australia
should really be
not John

but Elizabeth

what if
ultimately
the story is a caution for today's world

take care
what you believe
take care
what you claim
is truth

MY GOODREADS REVIEW 

A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Room Made of Leaves rumbles round in official records of migrants to early Sydney, and suggests that perhaps the historical light may be shining too brightly on particular places and people, blind-siding others who played significant roles in the unfolding of Australia's colonial era. The world of John Macarthur, the official wool pioneer, seems to have some interesting gaps. Perhaps the biggest gap is an understanding of Elizabeth, his wife. Who was she? How did she interact with her husband? Was there a business and a personal connection? Was it maintained? How did she adapt to a new life far from England? Questions abound. But while the questions may not offer substantial answers (this is a novel), more importantly, the fact that these questions exist demonstrates that Kate Grenville has successfully wooed us into re-thinking the historical record and perhaps stimulating further research and question of our own. Grenville's Elizabeth sounds like a woman of strength, not satisfied with the decorums and mannerisms of her time. She was not satisfied with being a woman of needlepoint in a parlour, but a woman who liked to listen, watch, learn and act with a measure of understanding consequences. She knew how to handle sheep (from her upbringing in England). Grenville suggests that Elizabeth gathered her sense of belonging, her energy, her identity, in a sanctuary, 'a room made of leaves'. By contrast, John leaned to an interest in business deals to his advantage and enjoyed the hype of city life. To what extent, then could John claim to be the pioneer of the wool industry? The novel offers an exciting exploration of who this Elizabeth really could be. In fact, there is a strong connection with the present times...who we all really could be if we dare to step away from the stereotypes and cliches, and have the will and drive to find our own place in the world.

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