2023 Authors' Club Best First Novel Award (nominee)
2022 HWA Debut Crown Award (shortlist)
'Beautifully written, unflinching and brimming with adventure' – Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne and Elektra
'Immersive storytelling, a rollicking mystery and a take-no-prisoners heroine' – Stylist
1896, Bannin Bay, Australia. When British pearl-boat captain Charles Brightwell goes missing out at sea, rumours of mutiny and murder swell within the bay's dens and back alleys. Only his headstrong daughter, Eliza, refuses to believe her father is dead, and sets out on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth.
But in a town teeming with corruption, prejudice, and blackmail, Eliza soon learns that the answers she seeks might cost more than pearls. How much is she willing to sacrifice to find them?
'Both a breathtaking adventure story and a moving testimony to the lengths we go to for the people we love, it swept me away from the first page' – Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
Times Best Historical Fiction Pick
A Woman & Home Best Book
Stylist Top Pick
Shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award and the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize
Compelling, fiercely feminist, and atmospheric, Lizzie Pook's Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter is a truly mesmerising novel.
Genre: Historical
'Immersive storytelling, a rollicking mystery and a take-no-prisoners heroine' – Stylist
1896, Bannin Bay, Australia. When British pearl-boat captain Charles Brightwell goes missing out at sea, rumours of mutiny and murder swell within the bay's dens and back alleys. Only his headstrong daughter, Eliza, refuses to believe her father is dead, and sets out on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth.
But in a town teeming with corruption, prejudice, and blackmail, Eliza soon learns that the answers she seeks might cost more than pearls. How much is she willing to sacrifice to find them?
'Both a breathtaking adventure story and a moving testimony to the lengths we go to for the people we love, it swept me away from the first page' – Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
Times Best Historical Fiction Pick
A Woman & Home Best Book
Stylist Top Pick
Shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award and the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize
Compelling, fiercely feminist, and atmospheric, Lizzie Pook's Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter is a truly mesmerising novel.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"Gritty, lyrical, breathtaking. I couldn't put it down, drawn in by its vividly-drawn characters and wealth of historical detail." - Fiona Valpy
"This is a stunning debut. From the very first line, this novel drew me fully into its gritty yet captivating world. MOONLIGHT AND THE PEARLER'S DAUGHTER paints a memorable picture of ambition, sacrifice and corruption while exploring personal loss as driving force. I will never look at a string of pearls in quite the same way." - Charmaine Wilkerson
"A lush mystery with a vivid and unique setting, wonderous prose, layered characters and a satisfying end. Pook has crafted a historical adventure I won't forget!" - T A Willberg
"This is a stunning debut. From the very first line, this novel drew me fully into its gritty yet captivating world. MOONLIGHT AND THE PEARLER'S DAUGHTER paints a memorable picture of ambition, sacrifice and corruption while exploring personal loss as driving force. I will never look at a string of pearls in quite the same way." - Charmaine Wilkerson
"A lush mystery with a vivid and unique setting, wonderous prose, layered characters and a satisfying end. Pook has crafted a historical adventure I won't forget!" - T A Willberg
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Used availability for Lizzie Pook's Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter