In 1841, 15-year-old Bridie Stewart, her pregnant mother Mary and stepfather Alf are emigrating from England to Port Phillip in Australia aboard the Lady Sophia. Life on the ship is interestingly detailed. Bridie has hidden in her baggage a gift from her recently deceased father, a notebook filled with his fairy tales. Aboard ship, she befriends the troubled Rhys and together they enjoy her father’s fairy tales. The novel is unusual with its mix of realism and fairy tales, but it is an interesting read about life on the ship, moving to a new land with a different culture and forming friendships.

1. Cross Cultural Relations
2. Cultural Traditions
3. Emigration
4. Friendship
5. History