Description
In 1838, Dr Alexander Skinner leaves Scotland for Australia to make his fortune. He had met Scots whose families owned sugar plantations in the West Indies and been told that Australia’s climate might be equally suitable for growing sugar. Dr Skinner is intrigued by the prospect of sugar production and the potential growth of a global industry. A restless, tenacious, often relentless character, Dr Skinner pushes himself and his family towards his single-minded goal of success in an untamed country.
Author Lois Shepheard’s investigation retraces this man’s life alongside the history of an Australian industry and its communities, through New South Wales state records, 19th century newspapers, ships’ passenger lists and a treasure trove of personal letters. The Sugar Doctor examines Dr Skinner’s successes and losses as he traverses urban and rural Australia, with a few years in the Philippines to learn the sugarcane trade.
Shepheard skilfully weaves this tapestry of settlement in Australia, stitched with the threads of Dr Skinner, his family life and the deeds of his friends, relatives and associates. The Sugar Doctor is an evocative portrayal of 19th century Australian society and of the brave souls who helped lay the foundations of a nation.
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
Lois Shepheard has done it again!
The Sugar Doctor is the third book to emerge from Lois Shepheard’s meticulous research into her family’s history. This tale depicts characters from her family’s story and the contribution they have made to the development of the colony of New South Wales prior to Federation.
Blending her gift of storytelling with her in-depth research into her family, along with accurate historical references to the life and times of the nineteenth century, Lois has woven a story that captures the lives of real people. She gives the reader an insight into the hardships and achievements of those seeking a new life in a new country.
I highly recommend this story to those who have an interest in family history and in Australian history.
The Sugar Doctor is an engaging story that holds the reader’s interest throughout.
– Jo-Anne Ward, School librarian