Diverse and Impactful: Read our Review of Night Ride into Danger by Jackie French

It’s a dark and dangerous journey for the Cobb & Co night mail coach, but when his coach-driver father is injured, young Jem Donovan must take the reins.

You need to be a skilled Whip to handle five horses, and an even better one to do the overnight mail run to Goulburn to meet the train to Sydney. Carriages are how Cobb & Co get the mail, and passengers, from place to place so fast.

Surely a boy like Jem can’t handle a team of four horses and guide the coach on a rough bush track through fog and untold dangers? But he must persist. There are six mysterious passengers on the coach tonight, and each one has a secret. If Jem can’t get them all to their destination by morning, the seventh secret could be deadly…

Set in 19^th century New South Wales, Night Ride into Danger is historical fiction at its finest. It had me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how each character’s stories and secrets would unfold. Jackie French’s attention to detail makes all the difference. French uses language from “back then” – as she states in the Author’s Notes – which acts as the portal to an old Australia. I loved it.

I admired how French caters for young readers to find common ground in an uncommon setting (and language). I can picture a year 5 or 6 classroom having a large group discussion on the novel’s portrayal of race, class, and the immigrant experience. These topics were relevant in the 19^th century and still ring true today.

With such a diverse cast of characters, it’s difficult to pick a favourite, but I was left uplifted by their eventual unity to get through tough times. I could relate to that.

French is regarded as one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors and writes across all genres – from picture books, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much-loved historical fiction for a variety of age groups. She is an award-winning writer and the 2014-2015 Australian Children’s Laureate. ‘Share a Story’ was the primary philosophy behind her two-year term as Laureate. In 2016, French became a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to children’s literature and her advocacy for youth literacy.

Night Ride into Danger is suspenseful, surprising and hopeful. French’s ‘Author’s Notes’ at the end of the book gives readers aged 10+ necessary context to elevate the storyline. I recommend this for fans of Jackie French (both young and old) and for readers of historical fiction.