Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction, strong female characters, mystery, and adventure. The vessel is one of the last to come in and she soon learns from her brother that their father has disappeared. For readers of The Light Between Oceans and The Island of Sea Women, a feminist adventure story set against the backdrop of the dangerous pearl diving industry in 19th-century Western Australia, about a young English woman who sets off to uncover the truth about the disappearance of her eccentric father.

years later in 1896, a lonely Eliza is awaiting the arrival of her father's pearling lugger, the Starling, which has been at sea for over 3 months. When her father disappears off his pearling boat and a native man is accused of killing him Eliza is determined that she must do whatever necessary to find him as she is not convinced her father is dead.The pearling has attracted not only Englishmen but Malays, Chinamen, Manilamen (I’m using the language from the time) and others. Supposedly, the only time a midwife can testify in court is regarding paternity when a woman gives birth out of wedlock—but Martha also takes the witness stand in the rape case against a dead man named Joshua Burgess and his living friend Col. I knew nothing about pearling when I started reading this book, but not only does Pook's novel manage to weave a thrilling yet emotional adventure plot throughout, the historical context is illuminating and expertly handled. In her debut novel, Pook introduces us to Eliza Brightwell, a pearler’s daughter living in the fictional Bannin Bay of Western Australia.

Lawhon weaves all this into a richly satisfying drama that moves suspensefully between childbed, courtroom, and the banks of the Kennebec River. It was so relentlessly depressing, and once I had gotten through the whole story, it seemed to be without purpose.It's dangerous and deadly work, less so for her father and brother, but very dangerous and deadly for those that work under them. The story is interesting in many ways but too brutal, We know of the brutality but it's hard to get a sense of the people, other than Eliza and the man who travels with her. This was a wonderful tale with sparkling characters, a huge landscape, a sometimes violent seascape and the usual terrible racial tensions.

The story then shifts to 1890s when the reader finds out that Charles has gone missing from the logger during a recent pearling expedition. Through her bravery she not only finds the answer to her father disappearance, but she also uncovers a lot of secrets and corruption on the Bay. However, the Starling doesn't come in until late in the day, and her father is not on board, he has gone missing and the assumption is that he went overboard, although rumours abound of murder and mutiny.Eliza is unable to get any information from Thomas who rushes off to Cossack to ensure the survival of the business. Gallery images of our book boxes show an example of what may be included – treat and gift content may differ.