Tuppence to Pass

London 1800s to Parramatta 1820s

An Unlikely Partnership

Josh Callan never expected much from life—just enough to get by in the gritty backstreets of London. But when he’s caught stealing from the very man who murdered his father, Josh finds himself branded worthless by a sneering judge and sentenced to a distant, brutal world: the penal colony of Sydney.

Arriving just as Governor Lachlan Macquarie takes charge, Josh steps into a colony on the cusp of change—and into opportunities he never dreamed possible. As he earns the respect of the powerful governor and becomes a trusted confidante, Josh begins to forge a new path not just for himself, but also for his family and his beloved.

Can a boy dismissed as nothing rise to become something more? And what will his unexpected friendship with the governor cost or gain him in the end?