Golden Urchin [Mass Market Paperback]

Madeleine Brent (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the Victorian era, Brent's enjoyable ninth romantic suspense novel combines a dauntless heroine with a generous serving of adventure and a dollop of amorous intrigue. The Australian outback is a bone-dry wilderness to those unaccustomed to its relentless hardship. Luke Bowman would have died there when his crooked partner left him wounded had it not been for the ministrations of an English girl brought up among Aborigines. In gratitude, he takes her to his farm near Perth, where his invalid wife, Rosemary, welcomes the red-haired half-savage, whom they christen Meg. Unbeknownst to all but an implacable, greedy enemy, she is the heiress to a fortune. When an attempt on her life is followed by Rosemary's death and Luke's heartbroken defection, Meg is deposited at a stuffy Swiss finishing school. Yet danger threatens even there, and in the company of several appealing companions she embarks on a pilgrimage through the polite drawing rooms of Victorian England, across the decks of a well-appointed yacht and along an unbeaten desert trail, in search of safe harbor.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This slow-moving, often stilted account follows "Mitji," a white child raised by aborigines in the Australian outback, in her attempts to discover her "true people." Leaving the tribe, the girl rescues a homesteader and is in turn taken in by the man and his ailing wife. The rest of the tale deals with Meg, as she is now called, discovering her real identity, the efforts of the villain of the piece to eliminate her, her heroic rescue of a shipwrecked party, and the ultimate happy ending. Since Meg's identification and future are virtually assured in chapter 6, only the determined reader may want to see things through to the predicted resolution. Judith A. Gifford, Salve Regina Coll. Lib., Newport, R.I.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Fawcett; First Thus edition (November 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449213897
• ISBN-13: 978-0449213896
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #631,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Golden Urchin (Mass Market Paperback)

I have discovered Madeleine Brent's novels recently and liked those so much that I have tried to read all of them. Two of these novels I have not managed to find yet (for a reasonable price), but so far Golden Urchin is my favorite of Brent's novels. Mitji is a white girl which has been raised by aborigenes and as the novel starts she is leaving her tribe to go search for the tribes of more white people. And Mitji's personality is fascinating, she looks at things very differently than expected because of the way she was raised and it is touching to watch her adapt to Western civilization. The love story is also believable and touching. Excellent novel, very recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is probably the pinnacle of Madeleine Brent's work., November 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Golden Urchin (Hardcover)

I have been addicted to Madeleine Brent since I found her. Even Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt don't create such gripping, admirable and yet eminently likeable heroines. Golden Urchin is, I think, the best of her books, funny and exciting at the same time as it is poignant and romantic. Meg is hilarious and Luke and Rosemary have one of the sweetest, most tragic marriages I've ever read about. This is a must-read for anyone who likes romantic suspense.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best stories I've ever read!, May 24, 2004

By 

B. Mckee "beemac" (Alma, AR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Golden Urchin (Hardcover)

I was totally involved in this wonderful story. I've never been disappointed by Madeleine Brent, but this must surely be her best work ever.

The somewhat slow beginning is probably not for everyone, but it helped me get into the story. By the time Mitji found Luke and rescued him, I already felt that I knew her. Her life and adventures as Meg were never completely free of the Mitji period, and when Mitji was needed again, she was up to the task.

I bought this book used, which apparently is the only way to get it, but I would have paid the cover price just to have it.