Super Short Summary

Set in early colonial Australia, Thomas Keneally’s historical novel The Playmaker follows Ralph Baker, a man sent to Australia who falls for Mary Brenham, a deported thief, while still feeling tied to his wife in Plymouth. Ralph and the prisoners, facing imminent death, decide to stage The Recruiting Officer, finding solace in art and forging a nascent culture in their harsh environment. This book is set against a backdrop of colonialism and the inequities it entails.