Drawing on her own family history, this is a story from Jackie French about education in Colonial Australia - and how women once had to fight for their right to it.<br/>January 1901<br/><br/>Sharks circle a stranded ship as a young girl and her family stagger from the waves ...<br/><br/>Rescued by a Pacific Islander boy named Jamie, Hannah's family begin a new life in Port Harris, which at first seems a paradise for the schoolmaster's daughter. But local fortunes are built on slavery and the whip.<br/><br/>As the new Federal Parliament passes the law that will force Pacific Islanders from their homes, Hannah and her mother risk everything to run a secret school, while Hannah and Jamie must fight for their rights to education and equality. Can friendship and love win against prejudice and power?<br/><br/>Inspired by real events, this powerful new novel brings to life the bravery and battles of the past, and gives us courage for the challenges of today.<br/><br/>Praise for Pirate Boy of Sydney Town<br/><br/>'... filled with swashbuckling action, tension and twists and turns ...'<br/><br/>Kids Book Review