E is for ...Esther : the extraordinary true story of the First Fleet girl who became first lady of the colony

 I've been researching my family history for over thirty years. Along this genealogy journey I have been supported by hundreds of books, many of which I have listed on my Librarything page. 

During the 2021 #AtoZChallenge I will be writing about two of my passions, books and family history. I'll be taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of those books that have enriched my genealogy experience.

Sometimes I read fiction to learn about the history and environment of the times in my ancestors lived. While the works in this genre of fiction based on fact may not be 100% accurate, if the author has researched her topic assiduously, they give one an insight into ancestors' lives and times. I like the sugarcoating this genre gives to learning history.

Ten of my direct ancestors including several women landed in Sydney Cove as convicts so I am most interested in reading works set in the early 19th century in New South Wales. 

In 2019 I attended a lecture by Jessica North at Toronto Library where she spoke about her writing and research for the book Esther : the extraordinary true story of the First Fleet girl who became first lady of the colony Jessica had consulted hundreds of diaries, letters, books, records, maps and journals to produce this her first novel. 

I borrowed the ebook version of this book from another local library. I enjoyed this book which told the story of a strong woman and expanded my understanding of the early years in the colony in Sydney, it was well written and very easy to read.