The Currency Lass

270 pages, includes a bibliography, first edition. There is what looks like a sliver of tobacco on the front paste down which has left a small stain on the title page; the title page also has a very small tear on the blank outer edge, and the lower outer edge is lightly bumped else a very good copy, clean, unmarked and solid. Please be aware that although "Currency Lass" has been thoroughly researched and based on fact, the book is written as a novel. 'Life in the convict colony of New South Wales was harsh and often cruel. But for free-settlers like the Hassalls, Sydney was home. As one of the few eligible Australian-born girls, Mary Hassall was much admired. This recreation of her life from contemporary letters and diaries vividly portrays her emerging adulthood, romance and life in Sydney and on the islands of Tonga. This is a story of raw courage and perseverance, hope and disappointment – giving intimate insight into a vital personality that still speaks to us today." (publisher).