Jennifer Scoullar

In Wasp Season, by Australian author Jennifer Scoullar, Beth has built a comfortable life for herself and her two children on a small property in rural Australia. She’s come to terms with the end of her marriage to her ex-husband, Mark, and is even considering starting a new relationship.

Though Mark now has a much younger girlfriend and new baby son, he is beginning to regret his decision to leave Beth. Lena is either too busy with baby, or shopping, to pay him much attention, and their relationship is increasingly strained.

Meanwhile, In a downed tree on Beth’s property, a European Wasp queen is building a nest, nurturing the beginnings of a new colony. As the hive begins to grow, and then thrive, the imported species takes a destructive toll on the environment.

A passionate conservationist and amateur naturalist, Jennifer Scoullar novels often feature environmental themes. In Wasp Season the author draws some parallels between the development of the European Wasp nest, and the human drama that escalates as Mark’s mental health deteriorates.

In the main I found the detail related to the wasps to be fascinating. Though I know bees have a vital role in our environment, I’ve never given much thought to wasps. I certainly had no idea how destructive European wasps are to the Australian bush. I thought it was quite remarkable that Scoullar was able to inject suspense into these chapters as the wasps slowly decimated the ecological stability of Beth’s property.

I found the pace of the ‘human’ story fairly sluggish to begin with. To be honest I didn’t really warm to Beth, I thought her to be quite a stiff and uptight character, even her internal dialogue is quite formal. The pace and the drama picks up as Mark and Lena’s troubles worsen though, spilling over to disrupt Beth’s more ordered world. The climatic events were quite shocking and more dramatic than I expecting.

Though I’m not sure it is entirely successful as a cohesive story, Wasp Season is an interesting and entertaining read with a unique structure and premise.… (altro)

Moving from the wilderness of Tasmania, to the Mainland, to the diamond fields of South Africa, and back again, Fortune’s Son is the first book in Jennifer Scoullar’s sweeping historical saga, The Tasmanian Tales.

After defending his sisters honour from her lecherous and powerful employer, Sir Henry Abbott, Lucas Tyler is unjustly sentenced to 15 years hard labour in the remote highlands of Tasmania. Forced to leave his family, his mentor -Damian Campbell, and his dreams of a future with Belle Campbell behind, Lucas endures four years of deprivation before escaping, along with a Newfoundland he names Bear. With a bounty on his head, Lucas must reinvent himself, not once but twice, in his quest to have his revenge on the Abbott family, and seek redemption from the love of his life.

Luke is an appealing and well crafted character. It is his misfortunes, challenges, and successes, that drive the story. While he is generally an admirable man, resourceful, with a genuine love for animals, Luke also has his flaws, which serve to make him a more believable character.

The enduring romance between Damian and Belle perhaps lacks originality. It’s a fairly standard trope where the lovers are unequal in status, and therefore, in Victorian society, doomed from the start. That said, it is a love story on an epic scale which Scoullar portrays well. With the idealism of youth, Belle and Lucas ignore the realities, and are faced with a number of obstacles and decades apart before there is any chance of a reunion.

Jennifer Scoullar, herself an environmental advocate, wonderfully evokes the historic wilds of nineteenth century Tasmania. Damien Campbell’s role as a conservationist allows the author to inform us about the harm early pastoralists and miners caused to the land, and their role in the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger. I found this fascinating and really enjoyed this aspect of the novel. Similarly I liked the author’s descriptions of South Africa, and Luke’s efforts to protect the native wildlife.

A compelling tale of love, betrayal, revenge and redemption The Fortune’s Son is a heartfelt, engaging novel of historical fiction, that reminds me of the epic scope of the Australian classic, The Man From Snowy River.

I’ll be sure to follow it up with The Lost Valley.… (altro)

The Lost Valley is a sequel to Jennifer Scoullar’s Fortune’s Son.

The Lost Valley opens in 1929 at the height of the Wall Street crash. Ten year old twins Tom and Harry Abbott are orphaned by a tragedy and are taken in by their estranged grandmother Isabelle Buchanon. The twins handle their parents’ death and the move to their grandmother’s country home, Binburra, in different ways. Tom, a quiet soul, connects with nature and finds comfort in his grandmother’s attention. Harry acts out his anger making life difficult and tumultuous for everyone. The once close brothers are now separated by a growing rift of resentment.

The Lost Valley is a sweeping tale spanning 25 years encompassing the great depression with crippling economies and rising unemployment leaving families destitute and highlighting the lengths people had to go to simply to keep a roof over their head and food on the table; many women turning to prostitution.

Scoullar adds historical events to place the story solidly in its time period.
From the Australian bush to war torn London and the horrors of war with a focus on the terrible toll on the families of men disfigured during war with many wives preferring to distance themselves from these men rather than live with the heartache.

Jennifer Scoullar has created an atmospheric story of unforgettable splendour, sibling rivalry at its worst and the effects of the war on all men and women.

As in Fortune’s Son conservation and endangered species are at the heart of the story.

The Lost Valley can be read alone however to get the full benefit from this story I would recommend reading Fortune’s Son first and fall in love with the characters and the Tasmanian wilderness.

*I received a copy of the book from the author and chose to review it.… (altro)

I loved the plot and the unique manner in which the characters were drawn. Set in the highlands of Tasmania in the 1800s and some later parts of the story in South Africa, told in multiple povs, we follow the epic love story of Luke and Belle and the battle to save the Tasmanian Tigers and Devils from extinction.

As a 14 year old boy, Luke and Belle already have a connection - the environment and the love of animals. But when Luke catches a wealthy land and mine owner raping his sister, Becky, and gives the fellow a flogging, it soon becomes apparent that if Luke gives the reason for the incident, it will in-turn cause his sister to be shamed throughout the small town they live in. Sentenced to 13 years hard labour, Luke is separated from all he loves and so begins the longing and planning to return to his family and to see Belle again.

I found the story, with the wonderful descriptions of locations and unusual and occasional slipping into the animals' point of view, a rich and captivating tale.… (altro)