Outlaw and Lawmaker

How can traditional values be preserved when many a respectable citizen could well be concealing a convict past? How far are people to be trusted? How can a young woman, like Elsie Valliant, be expected to make a decision about the man she is to marry when so many of the conventional guidelines no longer apply in the new land?

First published in 1893 and set in the early days of political struggle, Rosa Praed s probing novel explores this intriguing aspect of Australian life where the lawmaker could well have > been - and might still be - the lawbreaker.

And in presenting a love story in this violent country, where the benefits of security must be weighed against the dangers of excitement and passion, Rosa Praed has woven together elements of the thriller and fundamental questions about heredity and environment.