A page-turning read of love and loss from New Zealand author Margaret Gilbert, set in an exotic but dangerous Fiji in the 1860s
Fiji in the 1860s is a politically unstable, violent country, a dangerous place for a woman alone. This is where Charlotte Swann finds herself when her husband, Richard, is murdered the day after their arrival in Levuka, the country’s capital.
Overcome by grief, Charlotte manages to get work as a hotel cleaner. The town is filled with unsavoury types who frighten her, and the stories she hears of a hostile tribe of Fijians who live in a valley close by fill her with panic.
Time passes. Not expecting to love again, Charlotte is surprised at the feelings that stir within her when she meets the British Consul, Gareth Murdoch. Although Gareth is equally drawn to Charlotte, there seems to be no chance of a future for them as he has an estranged wife, Anne, who he hasn’t seen for three years. Things become complicated when Anne, an extremely unstable, manipulative woman, returns pregnant, demanding a reconciliation.
NZ Booklovers has a copy to win.
Congratulations to Maggie Henry for winning this competition.