The Irish community who came seeking gold brought their old-world conflict with them to the new land of Australia. The Orange and the Green focussed their antagonism on neighbourhood pubs in 1875, at a time of waning profits and underemployment on the famous Ballarat goldfields. The mines and mining tragedies loom large in the background as the Catholic community in Ballarat celebrated the centenary of the birth of Daniel O'Connell, known as the Liberator because he won a degree of emancipation for the Catholic majority of Ireland. The mounting pressures of this special day in the life of the Globe Hotel bring young Tommy Farrell to a newfound strength and resolve, breaking free of the bonds of his youth, to claim his own liberation - freedom to believe, freedom to grow and freedom to love. This novel is down to earth and compelling, but well-crafted and finely balanced.
The Liberator's Birthday, Jill Blee
We read this for our f2f bookclub which had the added interest of our being only an hour out of Ballarat - although few of the members of the club come from this area or have much direct knowledge of the Goldfield time in that town.
Generally the consensus was a reasonably good book which gave an interesting perspective of one day in the life of a young man whose parents own a pub. An Irish Catholic family, the day in history has great significance. Not enough significance to change the day to day life of the running of the pub for everyone though.
Slightly myopic viewpoint as it's told from the point of view of a single character who frankly, probably should have packed his swag and headed out a long time before he eventually did.
Having said that, as a portrayal of the time it had a very realistic feeling to it, and it's an interesting idea.