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The Remarkable Mrs Reibey

By: Grantlee Kieza
Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
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Publisher's Summary

As a teenage orphan in England in 1791, Mary Reibey was sentenced to death for stealing a horse. When police cornered her, she was dressed as a boy, and she maintained that disguise until she was unmasked at her trial. Due to her 'tender age', Reibey was spared the hangman's noose and sentenced to seven years' transportation to the colony of New South Wales. With the odds stacked against her, Reibey went on to become Australia's first female business tycoon and the richest woman in the colony, founding the Bank of New South Wales (Westpac), now one of the nation's biggest financial institutions.

In this engaging and meticulously researched portrait, the acclaimed author of bestsellers such as Mrs Kelly, Banks, Banjo and Monash, brings to life the woman immortalised on the Australian $20 note.

Shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards Non Fiction

©2023 Grantlee Kieza. Grantlee Kieza asserts their moral right to be identified as the author of this Work. First published in English by HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited in. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited. (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Dreadful narration

The story is fantastic but this narrator’s voice was just horrible, grating and lacking in style or emotion…

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well-told story of an important Sydney character.

I knew something about Mary Reibey, and was most interested to hear her remarkable story in much more detail. In fact I have visited her house on the banks of the Hawkesbury - or one of her many houses, it turned out. I have also seen Deidre Rubenstein on stage, and heard her in radio productions in years past. She is a highly competent narrator and tells a story well.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Hated the narration. Love Grantley Kieza’s writing.

Living remotely I can’t always get hard copies of books so have been buying audible books. I don’t know what the narrator was trying to do with her odd delivery of this interesting story. It was an ordeal to get to the end, and I had constantly to try to block out the intensely annoying audio to focus on the text. Please do not use this narrator ever again.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Loved this book.

The history of our country should be a subject added to school curriculums. I had never heard of Mrs Reibey and yet she is pictured on our currency. The book is a fascinating look at colonial life and how Australia’s First People were driven to retaliation to hold onto their lands and their culture.
The only thing I didn’t like was the narration. I found myself putting the story down from time to time hoping that the next chapter would improve, but sadly that did not happen. It really was a struggle to finish the book.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book spoilt by shouted narration

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Mary and Australian history. I did not enjoy the narration, which left me feeling as if I was being yelled at. A shame.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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  • RD
  • 29-05-2023

Well researched but awful narration

Meticulous research - the focus on Mrs Reiby gets a bit lost sometimes in sections where the historical context is being explained but a sense of Mary Reiby as a person is reasonably well developed. I hate to leave negative reviews but the narration is awful, stilted and shrill. I am not sure I can finish it to be honest.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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A brilliant story

Mary Reibey - the woman on the $20 note - what a life she had. What an inspiring lady - sentenced to death, reprieved, makes it to Sydney as a 14-year-old convict and becomes a shipping magnate. At 30 is a widow with 7 kids but still powers on. Great stuff.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

That narrator was grating

Woman married into wealth and ruthlessly holds on to it by using her money to persecute debtors. From what I see all she did was become the richest woman in Australia that’s a sad reflection of the country’s values. She has done nothing but be rich and boring. And in all told in an overdone smarmy voice.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Extraordinary woman but disappointing narration

Such a remarkable woman and an incredible story of success. Well written and researched by Kezia.
Dreadful execution of the narration. Really took away from the book.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • M.
  • 26-10-2023

Narration ruins an interesting historical account

There was probably great content in this book - but the dreadful narration made it hard to take in the content due to the bizarre tone that felt like dramatic reading of a horoscope perhaps. I struggled to get to the end of the book.
Certainly will not be listening to anything narrated by Rubinstein.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.