Convict Girl

Coming-of-Age Historical Fiction Australian Fiction Young Adult Historical Convict Literature Australian Colonial Fiction Feminist Historical Fiction

Convict Girl by Elva Schroeder is the gripping, coming-of-age historical novel set in 1830s Van Diemen’s Land that readers of Australian fiction keep hunting for in collectible condition. The story follows fifteen-year-old English farm girl Eliza, transported for a petty crime she never meant to commit, as she is marched off the transport ship and into the brutal female-factory system. Schroeder’s meticulous research brings the penal colony to life—from the clatter of leg-irons on Hobart’s cobbles to the eucalyptus-scented work gangs—while never losing the heartbeat of a young woman determined to reclaim her freedom and shape her own future. Readers who loved For the Term of His Natural Life or The Potato Factory call this the “missing girl’s voice” in Australian convict literature: intimate, unflinching and ultimately hopeful.

What makes this particular copy so attractive to collectors is its clean, tight, unread-feeling paperback state: no ex-library stamps, no inscriptions, no cracked spine or dog-eared corners—just crisp, off-white pages that invite you to slip back into the nineteenth century without distraction. Because Convict Girl was never reprinted in large numbers, finding a gently-read, second-hand copy in “very good” condition is increasingly rare, especially as the title gains traction in high-school and university Australian-history courses. The vivid cover art—still bright on this copy—has become iconic among YA readers who want a heroine strong enough to stand beside Marcus Zusak’s or Jackie French’s protagonists.

For adults, the novel offers an accessible gateway into Australia’s convict past without the dense academic prose of many Australian historical fiction tomes. Book clubs praise Schroeder’s balance of fast-moving plot with nuanced questions about justice, class and gender, making it an ideal discussion pick that pairs well with visits to Port Arthur or female-factory sites. Whether you’re building a heritage shelf, sourcing classroom sets, or simply craving a transporting weekend read, this well-preserved edition of Convict Girl delivers both literary merit and lasting collectability.

Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.