Beyond the Bay - Rebecca Burns - Review
Beyond the Bay - Rebecca Burns - my review
In a year which has for me, been the year of great historical reads I'm delighted to add this engaging and satisfying book to my blog and my lists of books I've loved.
What a wonderful discovery and welcome addition this book is! I devoured it from start to finish and longed to keep on reading more about the two sisters I met within its pages when it ended.
This is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction about two women who travel across the world to find new opportunities. Set in Auckland, New Zealand, at the very beginning of the 20th century as women begin to rise and demand the vote and throw off the shackles of total subservience to men which has previously been the norm.
Isobel has been living there for ten years already, she came here as a newlywed settler to escape her domineering Mother and defy her by choosing her own path in life and marry a man of her choosing and eschew a life in England which held little hope or promise.
What a brave choice, but how often decisions don't quite pan out how we imagined.
Isobel remembers her little sister Esther with fondness, she was still a child when Isobel left. Now Esther is on her way to stay with Isobel, all the way across the ocean. Expecting to find her older sister living the genteel and prosperous life she has described in letters home, what she finds is a great culture shock. Auckland is not yet the grand city it promises to become, settlers still live in rather ramshackle conditions and Isobels home and lifestyle, even the handsome husband Esther remembers all seem lacking.
But change is coming, especially for women and the two sisters begin to pull together and rely on each other as they learn to seize opportunity and be brave in forging their futures in this new land whatever their circumstances.
I won't say any more about the story, as I don't want to be guilty of any spoilers but rest assured this is an extremely good read. The authors style is confident and competent and her ability to weave a story and create some great characters is superb.
If you love books about strong believable women making a stand and lots of well researched historical detail woven through a captivating page-turner then this one's for you. I hope my review helps some more discerning readers to discover and enjoy this lovely book.
Order it now from Amazon
The Blurb
“The night before Esther’s ship was due to dock, her sister dreamed of her.”
Auckland at the turn of the century. A city on the cusp of change. Isobel, a settler of ten years, waits for her sister to cross the ocean to join her. Separated by distance, disappointments and secrets, the women reunite in a land where the rules of home do not apply. Women push for the vote and the land offers opportunity and a future for those brave enough to take it. But some secrets run too deep, some changes too shocking to embrace. Against this backdrop of uncertainty and promise, Isobel and Esther have to determine what – and who – means most.
In this novel, Rebecca Burns returns to the colonial New Zealand explored in her short story collection, The Settling Earth. Beyond the Bay is a novel of hope, redemption, and the unbreakable bond of family.
In a year which has for me, been the year of great historical reads I'm delighted to add this engaging and satisfying book to my blog and my lists of books I've loved.
What a wonderful discovery and welcome addition this book is! I devoured it from start to finish and longed to keep on reading more about the two sisters I met within its pages when it ended.
This is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction about two women who travel across the world to find new opportunities. Set in Auckland, New Zealand, at the very beginning of the 20th century as women begin to rise and demand the vote and throw off the shackles of total subservience to men which has previously been the norm.
Isobel has been living there for ten years already, she came here as a newlywed settler to escape her domineering Mother and defy her by choosing her own path in life and marry a man of her choosing and eschew a life in England which held little hope or promise.
What a brave choice, but how often decisions don't quite pan out how we imagined.
Isobel remembers her little sister Esther with fondness, she was still a child when Isobel left. Now Esther is on her way to stay with Isobel, all the way across the ocean. Expecting to find her older sister living the genteel and prosperous life she has described in letters home, what she finds is a great culture shock. Auckland is not yet the grand city it promises to become, settlers still live in rather ramshackle conditions and Isobels home and lifestyle, even the handsome husband Esther remembers all seem lacking.
But change is coming, especially for women and the two sisters begin to pull together and rely on each other as they learn to seize opportunity and be brave in forging their futures in this new land whatever their circumstances.
I won't say any more about the story, as I don't want to be guilty of any spoilers but rest assured this is an extremely good read. The authors style is confident and competent and her ability to weave a story and create some great characters is superb.
If you love books about strong believable women making a stand and lots of well researched historical detail woven through a captivating page-turner then this one's for you. I hope my review helps some more discerning readers to discover and enjoy this lovely book.
Order it now from Amazon
The Blurb
“The night before Esther’s ship was due to dock, her sister dreamed of her.”
Auckland at the turn of the century. A city on the cusp of change. Isobel, a settler of ten years, waits for her sister to cross the ocean to join her. Separated by distance, disappointments and secrets, the women reunite in a land where the rules of home do not apply. Women push for the vote and the land offers opportunity and a future for those brave enough to take it. But some secrets run too deep, some changes too shocking to embrace. Against this backdrop of uncertainty and promise, Isobel and Esther have to determine what – and who – means most.
In this novel, Rebecca Burns returns to the colonial New Zealand explored in her short story collection, The Settling Earth. Beyond the Bay is a novel of hope, redemption, and the unbreakable bond of family.
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