Bring Larks and Heroes
Bring Larks and Heroes is a 1967 novel authored by Australian writer Thomas Keneally, which earned the Miles Franklin Award in the same year.
Plot summary
The narrative takes place in a Penal colony located somewhere in the South Pacific, reminiscent of early Sydney. The story centers on the colony's convicts, with particular emphasis on Phelim Halloran, an Irish Marine. After his release from prison, Halloran enlists with the marines but finds himself more sympathetic to the Irish prisoners than to his mainly Protestant English officers.
Critical reception
Australian critic Robert Hughes, based in London, commended Keneally in The Times for his insightful treatment of Australia's colonial history, avoiding both sentimentality and romanticized portrayals. Leonard Ward from The Canberra Times praised Keneally's clear and concise prose, considering him among Australia's finest novelists.
Dedication
"To Judith who nursed this poor herd of chapters to pasture."
Publishing history
Originally published by Cassell in 1967 with subsequent reprints in 1967 and 1968, the book has also been released by:
- Belmont Books, New York, 1967
- Sun Books, Melbourne, 1968 (with reprints continuing until 1984)
- Viking, New York, 1968
- Quartet, London, 1973
- Penguin, Victoria, 1988
- Text Publishing, Text Classics, Victoria, 2012