The White Pearl
'Epic storytelling' Woman & Home
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4.2 • 29 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
*** THE Sunday Times TOP TEN BESTSELLING AUTHOR ***
'Wonderful . . . hugely ambitious and atmospheric' Kate Mosse
Discover a brilliant story of love, danger, courage and betrayal, from the internationally bestselling author of The Betrayal.
*****
Malaya, 1941.
As the glamorous wife of a plantation owner, Connie Hadley appears to lead a pampered and comfortable life. But she is hiding devastating secrets that could destroy her marriage.
Life is changed for ever on the day of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. As Japanese Zero aircraft attack the town of Palur, Connie takes the decision to flee to Singapore on the family's boat, The White Pearl. She sails with her husband and son, three friends and the enigmatic boat dealer Fitzpayne, who is the only one who can navigate the islands of the South China Sea.
In desperation, short of food and constantly in danger, fear strips away good manners; tensions arise on the yacht and anger causes deadly divisions between friends . . .
Further praise for Kate Furnivall:
'Superb storytelling' Dinah Jefferies
'A thrilling plot ... Fast-paced with a sinister edge' Times
'A thrilling, compelling read. Wonderful!' Lesley Pearse
'Gripping . . . poignant, beautifully written ...will capture the reader to the last' Sun
'Truly captivating' Elle
'Perfect escapist reading' Marie Claire
'An achingly beautiful epic' New Woman
'A rollicking good read' Daily Telegraph
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In another of her historical action stories, Furnivall (The Russian Concubine) takes readers on a tour through the islands of the Southeast Asian Pacific in the throes of WWII. The novel opens in colonial Malaya with Connie Hadley, the compliant wife of a plantation owner, in a car accident that kills a native woman in front of the woman's twin teenage children. Wracked with guilt, Connie makes it her mission to help twins Razak and Maya, despite her husband's protests. But the story takes a turn from domestic colonial tale to action-adventure when the Japanese invade. Connie assembles the family on their titular yacht, casting together the native twins with her own young son, a mysteriously well-connected boat captain, and a rough-and-tumble couple they encounter fleeing on foot. As The White Pearl hurtles between the islands around Singapore, its inhabitants watch the Japanese and Allied forces battle it out in the skies. The group lands on an island that is not as uninhabited as they'd thought and it all ends with an exhilarating, if somewhat implausible, d nouement. Furnivall weaves the dramas of her characters into the threads of history, creating an engrossing read on many levels.
Customer Reviews
,l
Loved ever minute of it.
Disappointing read
This book started out engaging my interest as I lived in Malaya as a child. Much of the scenery brought back memories. However as the story developed it became less and less plausible. The ending totally so. I was left hugely disappointed. Writer didn't check military aircraft in service in the Australasian region at the time of the fall of Singapore. Facts matter, even in novels.