A Marked Man: Some Episodes in His Life

First published in 1890, A Marked Man is considered to be the finest novel in Ada Cambridge’s distinguished writing career. It concerns two generations of the Delavel family, risen from unhappy beginnings to colonial prosperity. In the marriage of Richard and Annie we find love destroyed through petty materialism, and its complement in the near-adulterous relationship between Richard and the gentle Constance. The sober union of Richard and Annie’s daughter Sue with the radical Noel Rutledge is based on lessons learnt from the mistakes of the elders. It is a fine tale which explores with subtlety the tensions between radicalism and convention in the context fo late nineteenth century England and Australia.