Fiction Review: The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley

Elizabeth Gould, the birdman’s wife, spent her life painting the wonderful world of birds, a world the 1800’s had never seen. Her life, as history tells us, was eclipsed by her famous zoologist husband John Gould. This book gives voice to the passionate and adventurous spirit of the woman behind the man.

In 1828, Elizabeth first meets the man to become her husband, a demanding and ambitious genius who was to become world renown for his extraordinary endeavours to collect never before seen animal and bird specimens from places as far afield from London as Australia.

In this portrait, the woman steps out of his shadow and into the light where she belongs.

She was a woman ahead of her time, juggling the demands of her artistic life with her roles as wife, and mother of her ever-increasing family, with her artistry of hundreds and hundreds of exotic new specimens including those collected by Charles Darwin.

Australian author, Melissa Ashley, was awarded a two-year scholarship to research and write this story – and what a beautiful job she has done.

What an evocative time Elizabeth lived in, what an amazing contribution she has made in her own right, in her husband’s shadow. The book portrays this so well, right through to her untimely death at just 37.

So many will recognise the famous drawing of the lyrebird. Yes, this is Elizabeth Gould. The book also carries other recognisable paintings. Read it, learn, but above all be inspired.