The Floating Brothel

The Floating Brothel
Sian Rees (2001, Headline Books)
Sold by Crappy Old Books

Set sail on one of history’s most unlikely voyages—The Floating Brothel tells the remarkable true story of the female convicts who were transported to Australia aboard the Lady Juliana in 1789. With wit, compassion, and meticulous research, Sian Rees unearths the personal tales of the women society discarded, following their journey from the prisons of London to the strange new world of New South Wales.

Far from being a straightforward tale of punishment, this gripping narrative reveals a ship teeming with unexpected resilience, survival, and scandal. Branded “a floating brothel” by contemporaries, the Lady Juliana carried not just criminals, but women who would shape the future of a fledgling colony.

For fans of social history with a sharp edge and a taste for maritime misadventure, The Floating Brothel is a raw, riveting voyage into the past.

Condition: Slightly dog-eared, smells faintly of port and revolution.
Available now from Crappy Old Books—because some stories never belong on a Kindle.

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