Publisher's Synopsis
All three books in Janeen Ann O'Connell's 'Cullen-Bartlett Dynasty', a series of Australian historical fiction, now in one volume. This collection also includes the prequel, The Conviction Of Hope, as a bonus!
The Conviction Of Hope: When James Bryan Cullen takes on convict transportee Elizabeth Bartlett in 1796 as a housekeeper, his challenge is to convince her that life on Norfolk Island is worth living. But how do you come back from being wrongly accused of a crime, then exiled to the other side of the world? With nothing to lose, Elizabeth settles into an existence as a convict slave, waiting for her master to expect more than cleaning and cooking. But is Cullen the gentle soul he appears to be, and in a society that treats her as worthless, should Elizabeth dare to hope?
No Room For Regret: Chained below deck, 18-year-old James Tedder listens to the sobs of his fellow prisoners, wondering how life on the other side of the world could ever be worth living. Meanwhile, Sarah Blay watches the convict ship Indefatigable begin its voyage to the other side of the world with her husband, and his friend James Tedder, on board. One year later, Sarah bundles up her three small sons and says a final goodbye to her mother, and follows her husband to Van Diemen's Land on a dangerous journey that will take fourteen long months. But will she regret her decision, and will any of them survive?
Love, Lies And Legacies: Trapped in a marriage of convenience, Catherine Tedder struggles with the vagaries of her wayward husband. Moving them between Hobart and New Norfolk, James refuses to let the girls attend school. It's 1823, and Catherine's rights as a wife are limited. After spending time in prison, James Blay Jr. appears to be a changed man: attentive, caring, supportive. But then, a tragedy changes everything.
Time Tells All: William Blay is struggling with insolvency. After selling his farm in New Norfolk, Van Diemen's Land, William packs up his wife and three daughters and absconds to Port Phillip. But life in the new Colony is dogged by the same dramas that hounded William in Van Diemen's Land, and a new start is not easy as it first seemed. Forced to deal with the First World War and the Great Depression, they fight to make ends meet. But tenacity is often rewarded with success, and soon their family realizes its value as a significant part of Australian history.
