As engrossing as a novel, this story of the death of childhood in the cradle of the world's mightiest empire, and the atmospheric tale of crime and punishment leading to a sensational murder trial is from another time but implicitly raises questions which remain with us today.Steve Harris' book humanises a most bizarre social experiment and brings out its grotesqueness in dramatic form. The tale is so comprehensively and authentically written that it is a service to Australian and British readers.- Tom Keneally, winner of the Booker Prize and Miles Franklin Award