The Low Road

A literary novel about two poverty-stricken young female lovers in early nineteenth-century England who commit petty crime to stay alive and are transported to Australia. A gripping, atmospheric tale, based on a true story, that brings to life the forgotten voices of the past in the face of prejudice and ill-fortune.

SHORTLISTED: NEW ANGLE PRIZE

'Soft, swelling story-telling' Australian Women's Weekly

'A well-crafted and intensely dramatic novel, with characters you care about facing circumstances so dire a contemporary audience might strain to fully imagine them' Sydney Morning Herald 

'The Low Road is a beautifully written novel . testament to Quarmby’s dedication to her craft and her commitment to delivering an immersive and captivating story' The Tasmanian Times 

'A darkly gripping picaresque tale of cruelty, courage and kindness as an orphaned girl survives poverty and injustice to seek love on the other side of the world’ Maggie Gee

'An engrossing and beautifully written novel. All sorts of horrors are to be found here, but also love and bravery and hope. A must for lovers of historical fiction’ Adele Geras

Norfolk, 1813. In the quiet Waveney Valley, the body of a woman – Mary Tyrell – is staked through the heart after her death by suicide. She had been under arrest for the suspected murder of her newborn child. Mary leaves behind a young daughter, Hannah, who is sent away to the Refuge for the Destitute in London, where she will be trained for a life of domestic service.

It is at the refuge that Hannah meets Annie Simpkins, a fellow resident, and together they forge a friendship that deepens into passionate love. But the strength of this bond is put to the test when the girls are caught stealing from the refuge’s laundry, and they are sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, setting them on separate paths that may never cross again.

Drawing on real events, The Low Road is a gripping, atmospheric tale that brings to life the forgotten voices of the past – convicts, servants, the rural poor – as well as a moving evocation of love that blossomed in the face of prejudice and ill-fortune.

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