Read more
The Girl Who Helped Ned Kelly does not make a hero of the bushranger, nor does it condemm him. But the author draws with a vivid pen the characters of Old Man Jackson who lost his life while assisting Ned Kelly; of Kate Kelly, the outlaw's sister; of Jenny O'Donnell, the heroine; and of Ned and his associates. Particularly fine characters are Jack O'Briant and Nita, both of whom were Kelly supporters and their love story provides a strong romantic vein that runs through the story side by side with that of Ned and his sweetheart. Comparatively few books have been published so truly Australian in character as this one. As an historical novel dealing with one of the most dramatic chapters in Australia's history, it will take its place with Robbery Under Arms and For the Term of His Natural Life. - Canberra Times, 1929
The Girl Who Helped Ned Kelly, then, signifies the moment when writers started to twist the story to suit their own ends, in the process creating new interpretations that would ensure the legend was kept alive for generations to come. Whatever your opinion on the practice, that fact alone gives this book a place in the canon. - Gabriel Bergmoser, from his Introduction.
