This book came to me so highly recommended that I was skeptical, but I found the story impossible to walk away from. Actually, I didn’t have to. I listened to it on Audible, and the character’s voices and accents pulled me right in. I barely paused during the time it took to reach the last chapter, so it’s hardly a surprise that the hard cover, has now been added to my treasure trove of favorites.
The first chapter starts in Bridgetown, Barbados in 1854. Emily Dawson has just received an unexpected inheritance of a sugar plantation from her grandfather, but when she leaves England and arrives in Barbados, she finds it in ruins after a revolt by the enslaved in 1816. For starters…, why would her grandfather leave her a plantation in ruins, and why didn’t anyone know that he had owned this unusual place called Peverills?
Like many of the books I love, this one has a dual time line where entwining generations seek to solve the mysteries of Peverills. Just as you think you you know what really happened, you will be sorely mistaken…and deliciously surprised.
Since I’ve never been to Barbados, Lauren Willig brought its history to life for me, and described it beautifully through the eyes of unforgettable characters. The only problem was that the moment I finished the book I went on-line immediately to see if there was a sequel. Unfortunately there isn’t, and according to Lauren herself, there won’t be.
The only consolation is that Lauren Willig has written many books, and the one’s I have read have not been a disappointment. They all have marvelously twisting story lines and engaging characters, who I invariably miss when the stories end and the mysteries are revealed.
Lauren herself is quite an interesting character. Aside from being a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Pink Carnation series, “The Ashford Affair”, “That Summer”, “The Other Daughter”, and “The Forgotten Room,” among others. Her books have been translated into over over a dozen languages, and she has won multiple prestigious awards. As if that isn’t enough, after graduating from from Yale University, she earned a PhD in English History at Harvard, and then acquired a JD at Harvard Law, while still working on her novels. Lucky for us, she has chosen to be a full time writer.