This historical fiction by Australian author Courtney Collins, originally published with the title The Buried, was inspired by the life of Jessie Hickman, a female bushranger born in 1890, who went bush in the 1920s after killing her husband. It is an Australian Western but written in an interesting style that could be called Australian Noir.

Jessie is assigned to work for Fitz after she finishes a jail term for horse rustling. Her new freedom soon becomes its own kind of hell and she is eventually forced to take drastic action to escape to the mountains. She is pursued by Aboriginal tracker Jack Brown and the heroin-addicted Sergeant Barlow and then a host of bloodthirsty bounty hunters.

I found myself caught up with the action and willing Jessie to survive. The writing was vivid but lyrical and almost surreal. It felt a little like watching a Baz Luhrmann movie. Initially I felt very uncomfortable with the dead baby narrator but I became accustomed to it. I would be interested to read another Courtney Collins book. ( )

The Untold by Courtney Collins is a debut novel that tells of desperation, fury, sacrifice, redemption and love. Set in the Australian outback during the 1920s the story is about Jesse Hunt, a woman who life has not treated well. Released from prison into the care of a brutal man who forces her into marriage as well as using her horse skills to steal horses, she feels trapped but when she becomes pregnant, his ill use of her causes her to worry not just about herself but her unborn child as well. Making a bid for freedom, she attacks him and goes on the run.

Now she is tracked by two men who actually care about her as well as a wild pack of men who are simply after a bit of sport and a healthy reward. We learn that Jesse has lived a colorful and adventurous life having been a circus performer, a convict, a horse thief and cattle rustler. Over the course of the book she becomes a sympathetic character that we want to see move on to a better place.

The Untold is a beautifully written, lyrical novel that is based on the real life of Jessie Hickman, a female bush-ranger in 1920 Australia. This is an unorthodox Western that certainly brings to mind the work of Cormac McCarthy, who the author names as her favorite author. I was totally spellbound by this story and will certainly be looking for more by this author. ( )

This book is by far my most favourite of all the Goodreads Giveaways that I've been fortunate enough to receive so far. From a truly shocking beginning this story travels along at a fast pace, weaving its threads of birth, death and survival into a novel that I would definitely recommend reading.

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Jessie ist im Jahr 1917 gerade 23 Jahre alt und sitzt im Gefängnis von Sydney wegen Pferdediebstahls. Sie tauscht auf einen Vorschlag hin den Aufenthalt im Gefängnis mit einem Aufenthalt auf der Farm von Fitzgerald Henry, wo sie Pferde zureiten und als Haushälterin tätig sein soll. Dass sie damit vom Regen in die Traufe kommt, konnte sie ja nicht ahnen. Kaum ist sie dort angekommen, lernt sie Fitz von seiner schlimmsten Seite kennen. Er ist brutal und herrschsüchtig, sein Alkoholkonsum verschlimmert alles noch. Jessie erträgt das jahrelang, bis sie dann von Fitz schwanger wird. Sie will ihrem Kind solch ein Leben ersparen. Deshalb erschlägt sie Fitz und zündet das Haus an. Sie flüchtet.
Jack, ein Aborigine, der Jessie liebt, macht sich auf die Suche nach ihr. Er ist nicht der einzige, denn auf sie wurde ein Kopfgeld ausgesetzt.
Es ist eine ergreifende Geschichte, die uns Courtney Collins, hier aus der Perspektive des Babys erzählt. Dieses Kind hat trotz allem das Urvertrauen zu seiner Mutter.
Jessie geht mutig und beharrlich ihren Weg in der männerbestimmte Gesellschaft. Es macht sie sympathisch, dass sie sich gegen alle Widrigkeiten zur Wehr setzt. Auch Jack Brown, der eine unbändige Liebe zu Jessie empfindet, ist ein sympathischer Mensch.
Durch die Beschreibung der rauen und unbezähmbaren Landschaft hat man diese faszinierende Gegend direkt vor Augen.
Die Geschichte liest sich sehr gut und man fühlt förmlich mit. Ein Buch, das noch lange nachhallt.
Absolut lesenswert! ( )

This brilliantly told story of Jessie Hickman, a female horse thief, set in 1920s Australia is a darkly captivating must read. Based on the real life Jessie Hickman, the story unfolds as the tough and free-spirited Jessie tries desperately to procure her freedom from her abusive husband and captor Fitz. This novel will rope you in and hold your attention to the very end!

Bettina P. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

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