Book Review – The Night they Stormed Eureka

YA Account of the Eureka Stockade by Australian Author Jackie French

Aug 9, 2009

Modern teenager Sam travels back in time to 1854 to the Ballarat goldfields where she becomes part of one of Australia's most significant rebellions.

Based on the events of the Eureka stockade in 1854, The Night they Stormed Eureka (Harper Collins, 2009) by Jackie French offers readers aged 9+ an enthralling trip back in time to experience the events leading up to the iconic battle of the Eureka Stockade.

The Night They Stormed Eureka

Running from an abusive situation at home, 15 year old Samantha (Sam) takes refuge for the night in a historic cemetery. Ashamed of her alcoholic mother and her threatening boyfriend, Sam is too proud to let her friends know that she needs their help.

Hiding behind a gravestone, Sam suddenly finds herself drawn back in time. She is found by the kindly Mr and Mrs Puddleham and joins them as they buy supplies for their cook tent and return to Ballarat. The Puddleham’s dream of earning enough money to establish a luxury hotel in Melbourne, escaping the random cruelty of the Ballarat soldiers and the unfair fees and taxes the miners and townsfolk are subjected to by the authorities.

Sam is helpless to stop events progressing towards the doomed Eureka Stockade. Fighting the pull of her own life in the future, she learns not only about the conditions of Australia’s 19th century goldfields, but also about the meaning of freedom, courage and standing up for the rights of the oppressed.

A Modern Teenager Visits the Ballarat Goldfields in 1854

The concept of this story is very appealing and French is able to convey a great deal of information about the goldfields to her readers through Sam’s inquisitiveness.

Working alongside the Puddleham’s at the food tent, Sam meets gold miners, farmers and other businessmen in Ballarat. She discovers that the miners come from a variety of backgrounds, everything from ex-convicts to university lecturers, and experiences first hand the cruelty and oppression of the authorities. Her friendship with George, the son of a local Irish farmer and his Aboriginal wife, highlights for Sam the racial prejudice that was so easily accepted at the time, even by people as kind as the Puddlehams.

By placing a modern 15 year old girl in Ballarat in the mid-19th century, French is also able to highlight differences in language, clothing, behaviour, social customs and everyday life. Readers will find the descriptions of Mrs Puddleham’s meals at the food tent particularly interesting, with Sam discovering more than she wishes to about what goes into meat stew, blood pudding and various other dishes.

Jackie French

Jackie French’s 17 year writing career has produced 132 books across a range of genres including children’s picture books, teen fiction, humour and gardening. She has received more than 50 awards for her writing. For more award details and a full list of titles, visit Jackie French’s website.

French’s historical fiction often presents readers with a new perspective on well-known historical events. Jackie French is also well known for her love of Australian wildlife and flora and her partnership with Bruce Whatley has produced picture book favourites such as Diary of a Wombat (HarperCollins, 2002)and Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip (HarperCollins, 2008).

An Exciting Adventure at the Eureka Stockade

Sam’s knowledge of the battle ahead for the miners and other supporters of the Eureka Stockade helps to maintain an air of suspense throughout The Night they Stormed Eureka. As with previous historical novels, French includes detailed notes about the actual events of the Stockade and describes this novel as a story with a historical background, not as history.

There is additional information about various items and social customs mentioned throughout the story as well as some recipes for some for Mrs Puddleham’s favourites such as Welsh cakes, treacle dumplings and damper. French also highlights the plight of homeless teenagers, such as Sam, and poses thought-provoking questions about what needs to be done to provide a safe environment for these children.

Once again French’s writing appeals on many levels, with the historical event of the Eureka Stockade taking the forefront and Sam’s growing self-esteem creating its own deeper storyline. The issues faced by the miners and their desire for freedom and justice sure to strike a chord with readers through this engaging novel by one of Australia’s premier writers of historical fiction.

The copyright of the article Book Review – The Night they Stormed Eureka in Australian Literature is owned by Susan Whelan. Permission to republish Book Review – The Night they Stormed Eureka in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.