Book Synopsis:
The answers to her past and present lie far across the ocean…
December 1913. Clara Thornton won’t allow being jilted at the altar to squash her spirit. Against the wishes of her aunt and uncle, Clara decides to travel to Madagascar to learn more about the tragic shipwreck that took the lives of her missionary family, and marked her forever.
Clara is escorted abroad by Xavier Mourain, a handsome young merchant who works with her uncle. The two of them start off on the wrong foot, but Clara can’t help but be drawn to the mysterious Frenchman who helps her unravel the mystery that has always haunted her. But as their love blossoms, war begins. And the world will never be the same again.
For Clara, all the answers seem to lie far across the ocean. But some of them might be closer than she thinks…
My Review:
Far Across The Ocean is a compelling, emotional read from a new author for me.
I was immediately drawn into the book and thrown into the action with the family’s dramatic exit from Madagascar as they escape from the French uprising. This was a period of history I knew nothing about so I loved learning more about this period and looking up more about it on line. The author does a great job of setting the scene here so I felt that I could really picture life in Madagascar at that time. Suzie has clearly done her research and I loved all the little details that made the period come to life and the story more realistic.
I was expecting this book to be just a romantic read so I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was lots more to it then that. Yes there is a wonderful romantic storyline but there was also some drama and some very emotional, harrowing moments too. Clara was an absolutely wonderful main character and I loved following her throughout the book. She was such a brave, determined character that you couldn’t help but admire her. I enjoyed following her search for her family and watch her romance with Xavier blossom, particularly as I felt she deserved some happiness after all she’d been through.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author soon. There were lots of different elements to the story that I enjoyed watching coming together and lots of action that ensured I couldn’t put the book down. There were a few twists in the story to keep me guessing and took the story in an unexpected direction.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Award winning author Suzie Hull lives in Northern Ireland with her family and numerous rescue cats.
As a child she dreamt of being a ballet dancer but instead trained as a Montessori Nursery teacher and has spent the last thirty years working with children in a variety of settings. Suzie has always had an enduring passion for reading and history.
In This Foreign Land won the RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2022.
Far Across the Ocean is due to be released in Autumn 2022, set in Madagascar and France on the eve of #WW1.
Suzie is always keen to hear from readers and can be found on twitter: @SuzieHull1 Instagram: @suziehull1 and Facebook.
Over The Rainbow Blog 