A Dangerous Land by Marisa Jones
Marisa Jones’ debut historical romance novel A Dangerous Land (2023) is an epic exploration of love in all its forms, and what humans are willing to do in the name of it. Set predominantly against the backdrop of New Guinea during World War Two, we follow Amelia, a young white woman who lives in New Guinea with her family, and Daniel, a mixed-race young man doing his best to find his place during a time when segregation amongst the Guinean people and settlers was at boiling point. As war reaches the shores of New Guinea, we follow our two main characters in this dual point-of-view style novel, as they navigate loss, despair, displacement, brutality, and throughout it all, their love for one another.
Ripped apart by the physical threat of war and societal disapproval of interracial relationships, we see the two young lovers through tumultuous years. There is a large portion of the novel in which they are separated (with Amelia in Australia due to the ongoing dangers of war), and while distanced from each other significantly, there is never a lull in their mutual determination to make it back to one another. Their love, built on a foundation of childhood friendship, isn’t one that we as the reader are unsure of. It is solidified from the beginning of the novel, a clever choice on Jones’ part, as it gives us a reason to root for our characters and understand the motivations that drive them.
While the romance between Amelia and Daniel is at the forefront of this tale, the true shining star of this book is Daniel’s never-ending battle to find a sense of belonging when he straddles two worlds. He was born to a local mother who died when he was young and was given a job and benefits by Amelia’s family due to the status of his deceased settler-father. His skin colour is too dark for the white community, as he was refused evacuation at the beginning of the war, and it proves too light for him to join local forces and protect his homeland as he so desperately wishes to do. As Amelia puts it:
“The world was at war, and because Daniel didn’t have the right paperwork, he’d be left behind.”
Jones’ personal knowledge and extensive research is evident throughout her work. Her descriptions of New Guinea are rich and full. I personally had little knowledge of the country going into this book, apart from what I’ve heard around the brutality of the Kokoda trail. But Jones’ depictions of the brutal trails soldiers had to endure just to make it to safe zones, was confronting, vivid and wholly fascinating. The characters had no choice: either to stay and meet their fate with enemy soldiers or face their potential death on an unforgiving trail. Despite the challenges New Guinea gave Daniel and Amelia, they remained loyal and almost infatuated with it. There is a sense throughout the book, especially when Amelia spends some time in Australia, that her desperation to be reunited with Daniel is almost on par with her desperation to be back in New Guinea itself.
“New Guinea could be a punishing place, testing ones will like a broken marriage, and yet at the same time, it was enthralling, filling the soul with its mesmerising beauty.”
Daniel’s own determination to preserve his homeland and save it from the ravages of war is all at once admirable and terrifying. It is never a doubt for a moment that he would be willing to die for his country and this was one of the most gripping elements of this book. After being turned away from the Australian Army due to his heritage, as a reader we are hopeful that Daniel will find his place among the troops, so he can fulfill this personal need to protect his home. This sense of loyalty was fascinating to read about, as there was no doubt in Daniel’s mind that he must do whatever he could. Even more encapsulating though, was Jones’ dedication to providing a look at the unspoken heroes of the war in New Guinea; the locals who were berated, abused and manipulated into helping the Australian and American troops. Their blind commitment to these unfamiliar people, while their homeland and their way of life was being destroyed around them, was a confronting but important part of this story. Its prevalence is a credit to Jones’ commitment to giving us an accurate portrayal of this time.
When asked why he wanted to fight amongst the troops to defend New Guinea, Daniel explains that it is because he loves his country. He loves it deeply. Jones takes the reader on an epic journey set amongst the historical events that happened just off our shores, full of displays of fierce love and even fiercer loyalty.
“Usually the lads give me a stock-standard reply about duty and what not, and while duty is important, it’s not what’s going to sustain you when you’re arse-deep in mud and the bullets are raining down on you. Fighting for what you love is the only real thing that’ll see you through.”
In between exploring everything Melbourne has to offer and cooking new recipes at home, Heather loves to write about all the media she consumes. She reads a lot, but for some reason she can never seem to shorten her TBR list. Heather is currently working on a variety of fiction and hoping that a debut novel is in amongst them.