Harriet has been shipped off to the penal colony in Australia for stealing an apple. A crime she didn’t commit and which eventually leads her to a new life in 1840s Auckland. This young Sparrow - her parents’ nickname for her - longs to be able to pay her passage home to England to be reunited with her loving family. But it’s not that easy to earn money when there aren’t any jobs going for young girls in the bays. Every detail from the filthy state of the sailing ships, to the damp coastal campsite and the fight for every mouthful of food is acutely depicted by author Tessa Duder. But there are moments of joy too, like when Harriet sees a Pohutakawa tree in full bloom for the first time, or receives a pretty new skirt and then begins to dare to imagine a future for herself in this new country. A wonderful historical fiction YA novel for ages 13+.
— Laura