AustLit

'Personal conflicts and fierce emotions set amidst the intrigues and bloodshed of the infamous Cannibal Islands and the hardships of the fledgling convict colony of New South Wales.Early nineteenth century Fee-jee, an era of proud men and barbaric cruelty, of unspeakable inhumanity, duplicity, bitter hatreds and vicious revenge. A time of well-intentioned missionary ineptitude, shady island traders and warring, suspicious chieftains; of horrendous tortures and cannibal practices; an island paradise blessed by nature and blighted by its inhabitants. An emerging Sydney Town in the late 1820's, its soldiers and sailors, its convict labour and social aspirations; a small farm at Wilberforce where a husband and wife are waging an ongoing struggle to support their two children; the unfortunate circumstances which cause two young men to flee, forgoing their careers and heading into the unknown.A tale of hope and sorrow, dedication and compassion; of courage and terror, of loyalty and betrayal. The story of a native girl's devotion and self-sacrifice and the tragic and beautiful love of Lucy for the complex, doubt-ridden Lieutenant James Christian. Not for the squeamish! Fee-jee is a saga of passion and high adventure, people, times and places.' (Publisher's blurb)