Marion and the Forty Thieves

The front cover of the book 'Marion and the Forty Thieves' showing children on a ship

Marion's life is anything but ordinary. The daughter of the principal, Captain Neitenstein, she is the only girl aboard a magnificent floating boys' school, anchored permanently in Sydney Harbour in the late 1800s. Her best friend has boarded a steamship to France and now it's just her and this ship full of ragtag schoolboys.

One night, Marion discovers that a new student, Alexander Walker, is escaping the ship to meet up with his vicious gang, the Forty Thieves. Marion bravely follows Walker into the frightening Rocks neighbourhood to investigate …

What are the Forty Thieves up to and will Marion be able to stop them before it's too late?

In the collection

Sepia photo of a dirt street with buildings on either side, people standing and walking, and horses and carts

Charles H. Kerry, King Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 1880s?, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-141607649

Sydney Morning Herald, Map of Sydney Gordon & Gotch, Melbourne, 1880, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-232268547

Newspaper article from The Sydney Mail, 1897, titled 'Nautical School Ship Sobraon.'

1897, The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), 6 November, p. 967., nla.gov.au/nla.news-page16798302

Newspaper article from the Australian Star, 1897, titled 'A Sobraon Boy's Escape'

1897 'A SOBRAON BOY'S ESCAPE.', The Australian Star (Sydney, NSW : 1887 - 1909), 19 November, p. 6., nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231811382

Reviews

Paul Ashton, Professional Historians Australia

Few historians in Australia engage in the world of creative non-fiction … Even fewer have written creative non-fiction for children … Luke's book is an exemplar of what historians can do to reach diverse audiences, to make history accessible and allow readers to look to history for inspiration. Read more at: Marion and the Forty Thieves - Professional Historians Australia

Kids' Book Review

This is a wonderful work of historical fiction (or 'faction' if you prefer) that features real people and places from Australia's history. Read more at: Review: Marion And The Forty Thieves - Kids' Book Review

StoryLinks

There is much historical detail embedded in this readable and accessible story and expanded on in the back matter which includes a glossary, the history of the nautical school ships, and more, plus several fascinating photographs. Read more at: Marion and the Forty Thieves - Story Links

Just So Stories

Sarah Luke takes real historical figures and events, and skilfully weaves them into a very plausible fictional account that has as its main character the young daughter of the principal of the Sobraon training ship, Captain Neitenstein. Read more at: Marion and the Forty Thieves - Sarah Luke - Just So Stories

CBCA Reading Time

The National Library of Australia has produced a high-quality affordable book that is a pleasure to read. This is an outstanding example of one way to bring the treasures of the library to the notice of general readers. Read more at: Marion and the Forty Thieves - Reading Time

Teachers' notes

Marion and the Forty Thieves - Teachers' notes (PDF, 261.34KB)

About the author

Photo of a woman with greying dark hair, wearing a white shirt and light blue jacket, and standing in front of trees

Sarah Luke is a teacher and historian.

She likes researching in archives, finding information about people from the past, and writing nonfiction books about them. At other times she is inspired to write historical fiction stories, so that people who merely ghost through archives also have a chance to be remembered.

Sarah likes exploring old places in Sydney - particularly sandstone palaces and mossy, dark graveyards.

Marion and the Forty Thieves is her first children's book.