Congratulations to Richard Tuffin and co-authors for the publication of Recovering Convict Lives: A Historical Archaeology of the Port Arthur Penitentiary (Sydney University Press, 2021). In 2013, archaeologists began one of the largest ever excavations of an Australian convict site – Port Arthur’s Penitentiary precinct. Recovering Convict Lives makes their findings available to general readers for the first time. Extensively illustrated, it is a fascinating journey into the inner workings of the penal system and the day-to-day lives of Port Arthur convicts.