In 1788, young Elizabeth Macarthur embarks on a journey that will change her life forever. Newly married to the domineering and impulsive soldier John Macarthur, she soon regrets the union. When the couple is sent to the distant penal colony of New South Wales, Elizabeth finds herself in a raw, unforgiving landSydney Town, a settlement of dirt, hunger, ambition, and whispered conspiracies.

Having spent her life learning to stay quiet and compliant, Elizabeth must now carve out a sense of self in an alien world. Amid the harshness of colonial life, she begins to unearth a quiet but fierce resilienceand desires she never dared acknowledge.

Inspired by the true story of a remarkable historical figure, A Room Made of Leaves is a lyrical and provocative tale of survival, reinvention, and the hidden lives of women. Its a novel about finding one’s voice in a world determined to silence it.

Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction.