Mark Wilson, Caroline, Windy Hollow Books, August 2023, 32 pp., RRP $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922081018
Caroline is the true story of Caroline Chisholm, a servant leader of her time in a burgeoning new colony, Australia. Many progressive thinking colonists had contributed their expertise and hard work to help the fledging colony thrive and grow into a self-reliant and exciting community. However, when Caroline arrived in Australia, she soon realised that the poor, homeless and marginalised members of society, eking out an existence on the streets of Sydney, were in desperate need of help. Caroline became a lifeline for the many orphans, migrants, and destitute girls she found.
Determined and persuasive she raised monies to fund her charitable work and had a ship named in her honour, Caroline Chisolm, which was used amongst others to transport migrant women and children to Australia from England.
With the advent of the goldrush in the 1850’s, Caroline worked to ensure that families had suitable living quarters and adequate supplies. In latter times, Caroline’s health began to fail and even though she was skint of money herself, she never accepted charity from others. Returning to England near to the end of her life, her health further deteriorated, and Caroline died a pauper. Despite this, her legacy of love, sacrifice and kindness will always be remembered.
Caroline is a beautiful recount of Chisholm’s enormous sense of responsibility and care for the poor and down cast, specifically migrant women, overflowing in the streets of Australia, are both testament to her selflessness and willingness to be of service to others. It provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the charitable deeds of an early female pioneer in Australia. Tracing Caroline’s life from newborn through to her adult years, Mark Wilson successfully makes her life’s work accessible for young readers.
Wilson’s brilliant full-page colour illustrations compete with his back ink ones, and yet they complement each other in their untold beauty and detail. Akin to photographs and portraits the images are mesmerising and awe-inspiring almost beckoning the reader, through some magical spell, to study them in every minute detail. They are all simply breath taking. And this also includes the spell binding end pages.
Wilson’s biographical picture book Caroline deserves a place in every library in Australia and beyond. This retelling of the life of Caroline Chisholm not only highlights what a truly remarkable, compassionate, and inspirational early changemaker she was, but, moreover, it is a reminder of a courageous and determined early female influencer in Australian society.
Recommended for 8+ years
Reviewed by Julie Deane
