The Trader’s Gift (Trader’s 4)

Author/Guide: Anna Jacobs

Why a Booktrail?

1870: Bram Deagan’s family in Australia is getting bigger than ever. Two more are on their way but will they reach their destination?

ISBN: 978-1444761269
Genre: Fiction, Historical

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What you need to know before your trail

Bram Deagan has a thriving trading business, a growing family – and a gift for matchmaking. His dearest wish is to see his friends Dougal and Mitchell happily married too.

In England, Eleanor Prescott has been widowed and often thinks of Dougal McBride, the ship’s captain who was a true friend to her. Does she dare return to Western Australia to find him?

Jacinta Blacklea is also a widow, desperate to protect her young son. When she hears of a man in Australia looking for a wife, she determines to grasp Mitchell Nash’s invitation with both hands. But the troubles of her old life can’t be easily left behind.

Both Eleanor and Jacinta bravely set off for Australia. But is it worth taking such a huge risk on the chance of happiness?

Locations

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England
A: Southampton docks

Sri Lanka
B: Galle - Harbour

Travel Guide

The Swan River Colony

This used to be the name for Western Australia and was a place for trade and the excitement around new methods of trade. Maura and Huge Beaufort meet on the SS Delta, one of many ships and steamers of the time to use the newly opened Suez Canal which has been built for the impressive numbers of people wanting to travel to Australia and for it not to take several months.

Fremantle is the centre of the Swan River Colony and is where Bram Deagan has gone from strength to strength building his trade emporium and his family at the same time. Bram was an impoverished Irish immigrant but his passion to do something with his life is legendary. He can’t help but influence those who know him and who come to know him. He’s quite a figure in this book and is trying to encourage his family to come and join him as he can now afford to help them do so.

In The Trader’s Gift Jacinta, a desperate widow is on her way to Australia as an unseen mail order bride. A practice that was apparently common at the time as mainly men had gone there to work and to set the colony up and there was a shortage of women and therefore wives.