The Secret River is Australian author Kate Grenville's sixth novel, published in 2005. The novel was met with great popularity and critical acclaim after its publication, winning the Commonwealth Prize for Literature and the Christina Stead Prize. It was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. The novel has been adapted into an award-winning play (first performed in 2013) and TV miniseries (broadcast in 2015), and has been translated into multiple languages, becoming an international bestseller.
The Secret River tells the story of William Thornhill, a poor waterman who struggles to rise above a rigid and punishing social system in early-1800s London....