The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

In 1840, governess Evangeline Stokes is sent from England to Van Diemen's Land (the island of Tasmania) because the lady of the house believes she stole a ring that was actually a gift from Evangeline's lover, the family's adult son. The many-months journey to Australia on an all-female prisoner ship is harrowing because of the elements, overcrowding, and lack of proper hygiene and food. While on the ship she meets teenager, Hazel, whose midwifery and knowledge of herbs in treating ailments is prized by many. The Exiles recounts the journeys of Evangeline and Hazel, along with the story of Mathinna, a young aboriginal girl. Mathinna, along with other aborigines, has been forcibly moved to Flinders Island. The wife of the governor of Tasmania spots her and decides that Mathinna would make the perfect project and takes her back to the family's home in Hobart. There Mathinna struggles to adjust to a way of life that is foreign to her and feels isolated and alone. A heartbreaking story that deserves to be told and read by many.