To Distant Shores is part of 'The Culter Family Chronicles' but can be read as a stand-alone book, so there is no need to read the other books before diving headfirst into this captivating historical novel.
Opening in August 1843, Captain Richard Cutler is asked to command the newly minted United States steam frigate Suwanee on a mission to the South Seas and the distant shores of New South Wales. Accompanying him on this journey is Anne, his beautiful and resourceful wife of one year, who he finds even more beguiling than the first time he met her at the British embassy. Hailing from a Royal Navy family, she has little hesitation in joining him on this journey.
But neither of them is to know how perilous this voyage will become when the frigate is blown off course by a cyclone and wrecked on the western coast of New Zealand. Richard and Anne are separated, each thinking the other has drowned, and they are forced to do their best to survive in this dangerous foreign country. Will they survive again all odds? And how will the Māori people react to making their acquaintance?
To Distant Shores is meticulously researched, but the research never gets in the way of a page-turning, exhilarating story with equal amounts of love, bravery and action.
A seamless blend of history, a page-turning plot and unforgettable characters.
To Distant Shores is an unputdownable, entertaining read that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a well-written novel that engages the heart and mind.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
McBooks Press