Escape by Sea (L S Lawrence, Omnibus Books, $16.99 pb, ISBN 9781862917699, March) ****

Escape by Sea is the new historical novel from L S Lawrence, author of Eagle of the East. Sara lives in Carthage, a city of the northern coast of Africa, and an enemy of the newly rising power, Rome. Her father is a merchant and a senator. Sara’s life is privileged but constrained, her future already plotted out for her. Everything changes when the Romans invade, forcing Sara and her father to flee in one of their small trading ships, the Heron. Now all they face is the Roman navy, pirates, unscrupulous merchants, and the merciless ocean itself. Sara finds a new life on the Heron, but is unsure where it will lead. Sara is a strong and resourceful lead character, used to running a household, skilled in medicine, and quick to learn the ins and outs of trading. The world she inhabits is fully realised, providing the reader with a vivid picture of life in the third century BC. Lawrence illuminates many aspects of Sara’s world, including sailing, medicine, naval tactics, international relations, and trade. The novel has a strong theme of tolerance, diversity, and respect for all cultures. A great read for history buffs 10 and above.

Heath Graham is a teacher and a bookseller at A&R Doncaster in Melbourne

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker