The Naturalist’s Daughter

In New South Wales in 1808, Rose Winton works with her father, famed naturalist Charles Winton, to record details in a sketchbook about the platypus that will shock the scientific world. When Charles cannot travel to London to present his findings to the Royal Society, Rose undertakes the journey in his place, changing her life forever.

A century later, Tamsin Alleyn must retrieve the sketchbook, which has been donated by an elderly woman to the Public Library in Sydney. Before Tamsin arrives, however, the woman dies, and her daughter denies the library’s claim, hoping to sell the book to the highest bidder. This sends Tamsin on a feverish journey to discover the puzzling history behind the sketchbook and the validity of the library’s claim before the sketchbook is lost. Like Rose, Tamsin’s journey forever upends her life as well.

Tea Cooper seamlessly shifts between Rose and Tamsin’s story lines in a way that makes this novel nearly impossible to put aside. The twists in this novel are delightfully unexpected. Along the way, the reader also gains an appreciation for the fascinating platypus and a sense of the history of New South Wales as well. Do not miss this novel.