Playing the Ghost
In the mid-1850s, the growing Australian town of Castlemaine is a wild and often terrifying place. People have come from all over the world seeking their fortunes in the Goldfields, but death is never far away, and ghosts stalk the landscape: ancient spirits as well as the more recent, who have been destroyed by bad luck or misfortune.
Tom and Lucy Earnshaw are an English couple who are struggling to get by, hoping to strike it rich while also dealing with a personal tragedy. Tom suggests that Lucy join a local group of amateur players as an outlet from her relentless drudgery. Although previously shy and withdrawn, Lucy discovers that some part of her craves attention and she “longs to be seen, to be heard”. The theatre is a welcome escape, and she makes new friends but also is increasingly attracted to the charismatic playwright, Will Browning. When he gives her the role of the ghostly Green Lady, she uses the disguise to haunt the town and silently observe spurious activities which might affect Tom. After Lucy’s trickery is discovered, livelihoods and lives are at stake, and she is forced into difficult choices.
“Ghost hoaxing” would become a common occurrence in the Goldfields, and this story is inspired by real historical events. The sights, sounds and activities of the early days of Castlemaine are accurately described, the characters are appealing and believable, as is the sense of frustration experienced by those who thought digging for gold would bring happiness only to suffer from disappointment, exploitation or deceit, but mostly from rage … “Rage at their empty claims and their aching bodies and their children buried at Pennyweight Flat.”
This honest and captivating novel is highly recommended for anyone interested in the Australian Goldrush era.
