Genre Fiction
![Kate Grenville - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001HMOCTU.jpg)
A Room Made of Leaves
Kate Grenville's return to the territory of The Secret River is historical fiction turned inside out, a stunning sleight of hand by one of Australia's most celebrated writers.
What if Elizabeth Macarthur―wife of the notorious John Macarthur, wool baron in the earliest days of Sydney―had written a candid secret memoir? And what if novelist Kate Grenville had miraculously found and published it? That's the starting point for A Room Made of Leaves, a dance of possibilities between worlds real and invented.
Marriage to a ruthless bully, the impulses of her heart, the search for power in a society that gave women none: Grenville's Elizabeth Macarthur manages her complicated life with spirit and passion, cunning and wit. Her memoir lets us hear what a seemingly demure woman of history might really have thought.
At the heart of A Room Made of Leaves is one of the most toxic issues of our own age: the seductive appeal of false stories. This book may be set in the past, but it's just as much about the present, where secrets and lies have the power to shape reality.
What if Elizabeth Macarthur―wife of the notorious John Macarthur, wool baron in the earliest days of Sydney―had written a candid secret memoir? And what if novelist Kate Grenville had miraculously found and published it? That's the starting point for A Room Made of Leaves, a dance of possibilities between worlds real and invented.
Marriage to a ruthless bully, the impulses of her heart, the search for power in a society that gave women none: Grenville's Elizabeth Macarthur manages her complicated life with spirit and passion, cunning and wit. Her memoir lets us hear what a seemingly demure woman of history might really have thought.
At the heart of A Room Made of Leaves is one of the most toxic issues of our own age: the seductive appeal of false stories. This book may be set in the past, but it's just as much about the present, where secrets and lies have the power to shape reality.
Editorial Reviews
"In her rich vision of an alternate life for Elizabeth… Grenville offers a potentially myth-busting version of a turbulent time."―Booklist starred review
"Historical comeuppance is on order in Kate Grenville's A Room Made of Leaves…White-hot…[An] impressively angry book."―Wall Street Journal
"Grenville invites the reader to reflect on the complex relationship between truth and falsehood, history and fiction…[A] stunning literary achievement."―Kirsten Tranter, Guardian
"There is no doubt Grenville is one of our greatest writers."―Sunday Mail
Kate Grenville is a literary alchemist, turning the leaden shadow of the historical Elizabeth Macarthur into a luminescent, golden woman for our times. Intelligent, compassionate, strategic and dead sexy, Grenville's Macarthur is an unforgettable character who makes us question everything we thought we knew about our colonial past. A polished gem of a novel by a writer who is as brave as she is insightful. I simply loved it."―Clare Wright, author of You Daughters of Freedom
"Giving voice to the countless generations of women who were prevented from telling their true stories…Compelling."―Herald-Sun
"Vividly rendered, warmly sympathetic, daring in speculative breadth: a full-length portrait in oils of a woman known to most of us only in profile miniature…If Grenville's novel is inspired by provocation, it unfolds as a feeling, organic story."―The Australian
"Grenville so convincingly creates Elizabeth's voice it is easy to forget her opening warning: 'Do not believe too quickly!'...Grenville's Elizabeth stays with you."―Conversation
"‘Memorable…Macarthur comes to vivid life…A gorgeously tactile sense of the Australian bush."―Mercury
"Historical comeuppance is on order in Kate Grenville's A Room Made of Leaves…White-hot…[An] impressively angry book."―Wall Street Journal
"Grenville invites the reader to reflect on the complex relationship between truth and falsehood, history and fiction…[A] stunning literary achievement."―Kirsten Tranter, Guardian
"There is no doubt Grenville is one of our greatest writers."―Sunday Mail
Kate Grenville is a literary alchemist, turning the leaden shadow of the historical Elizabeth Macarthur into a luminescent, golden woman for our times. Intelligent, compassionate, strategic and dead sexy, Grenville's Macarthur is an unforgettable character who makes us question everything we thought we knew about our colonial past. A polished gem of a novel by a writer who is as brave as she is insightful. I simply loved it."―Clare Wright, author of You Daughters of Freedom
"Giving voice to the countless generations of women who were prevented from telling their true stories…Compelling."―Herald-Sun
"Vividly rendered, warmly sympathetic, daring in speculative breadth: a full-length portrait in oils of a woman known to most of us only in profile miniature…If Grenville's novel is inspired by provocation, it unfolds as a feeling, organic story."―The Australian
"Grenville so convincingly creates Elizabeth's voice it is easy to forget her opening warning: 'Do not believe too quickly!'...Grenville's Elizabeth stays with you."―Conversation
"‘Memorable…Macarthur comes to vivid life…A gorgeously tactile sense of the Australian bush."―Mercury
Readers Top Reviews
CDLJanLindsey Willia
Good read. I enjoyed the way the story flowed and really liked Mrs. MacArthur. She was quite a women. I would definitely recommend this book.
Pauline D Sawyer
Kate Grenville has told a story, with acute historical references. A story that may possibly the real truth across agricultural Australia. Crisp writing, enough sex and scandalous behaviour composed in such a polite and understated way, but leads the reader to a 'Good on you' moment for Elizabeth Macaurthur
Rod
I went to Dawes point last night. A mess of buildings and noise from party boats. Elizabeth would have been amazed. Horrified? The book captures the struggles and desires of the classes on the first fleet and the flagrant theft of country. Humour, vanity, intelligence, strength, guilt and loneliness drive a powerful narrative.
Kindle avid reader
Australian authors are among my favourites. These women are painting indelible pictures of life in this great continent with its amazing contrasts from city to barren arid landscapes in the vast outback. This novel takes us into the very private life of a spirited English bride as she struggles in an alien early Sydney environment governed by British soldiers who are only interested in how they can feather their own nests. Her marriage is without the love she longs for. However we are taken into her private room made of leaves where she reveals her true self.
Rick
For those who enjoy strong characters and a good dose of history this is a good well crafted read. It opens up the rather hidden world of Early Sydney and provides insight into Macarthur who was such a significant part of early NSW. One does get to learn about Elizabeth Macarthur but I found it took me in an unexpected direction which did take great liberties with the limited historical detail available. it is not a long text but I enjoyed the reading experience in the hands of an accomplished writer and I enjoyed learning about the conditions at the time.
