Summary

"She was the Oyster Girl, clamped onto life, encased in a brittle sharp shell, a shadow in the mud, her story a secret."This is a version of lutruwita/Tasmania that you have never read, a novel of the sea and sailing that tells the story of an island through the eyes of an unforgettable woman, Pearl Macqueen, the Oyster Girl. Starting as it means to go on, seismically, The Oyster Girl traces Pearl from her time as an indentured worker diving for mutton fish and crays through love, friendship, fortune and some of the cruel dealings of fate. Cameos from many of the island's most recognisable historical figures, fleshed out with failings and foibles, are spotted throughout the story. For one so vulnerable in her time - a woman alone - Pearl is a feisty and textured character who will stay with you long after you have finished reading.