Wanting

A haunting historical novel that intertwines the lives of Charles Dickens in Victorian London with that of Mathinna, an Aboriginal Tasmanian girl adopted by Sir John and Lady Jane Franklin. Moving between England and the brutal realities of colonial Tasmania, the story explores the destructive power of desire—whether for love, status, redemption, or control—and the moral blindness of empire. Richard Flanagan, one of Australia’s most acclaimed novelists and later winner of the Man Booker Prize, brings lyrical intensity and psychological insight to this meditation on longing and its consequences. Rich in atmosphere and emotional depth, this is a compelling read for those drawn to literary historical fiction and searching examinations of human motive.