In the early nineteenth century William Thornhill is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. He arrives with his wife Sal and their children in a harsh land he does not understand.Eight years later, Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury as a free man to claim a hundred acres. Aboriginal people already live on the river and Thor In the early nineteenth century William Thornhill is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. He arrives with his wife Sal and their children in a harsh land he does not understand.Eight years later, Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury as a free man to claim a hundred acres. Aboriginal people already live on the river and Thornhill will soon have to make the most difficult decision of his life.Inspired by research into her own family history, Kate Grenville's The Secret River is a tour de force, a powerful and groundbreaking story about life on the frontier.