Welcome to Glorious Tuga
Escape to a tropical paradise with this life-affirming read
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
‘Joyous… A modern-day Jane Austen meets The Durrells’ ELIZABETH DAY
'One to hoard like a squirrel’s nut for the cold, dark days of winter' IRISH TIMES
READERS ADORE WELCOME TO GLORIOUS TUGA
‘A glorious escape from reality’
‘You can feel the sand and taste the coconut water’
‘Full of romance, intrigue and friendships’
‘Blue sea; small island; paradise. Sign me up!’
‘Deserves to be in everyone’s suitcase this summer’
Zoologist Charlotte Walker has taken up a year-long fellowship on the tiny, remote island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered gold coin tortoises in the jungle interior.
She is warmly embraced by the tight-knit community of islanders – and their animals – who are keen to adopt Charlotte as Tuga’s first vet.
But Charlotte has a family secret that connects her to the island. She is determined to solve the mystery: she just needs to make sure she stays focused on her research, and absolutely does not fall in love with the first man she meets…
’A much-needed escape, I warmly recommend this beauty’ NIGELLA LAWSON
‘A magical novel, so uplifting, heartwarming, funny’ MARIAN KEYES
‘Brilliantly and thoroughly imagined. I didn't want to go home’ NICK HORNBY
‘Sparkling and sophisticated’ JESSIE BURTON
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the immersive latest from Segal (The Innocents), a British woman ventures to the fictional South Atlantic island of Tuga, hoping to learn about her origins. At the outset, veterinary researcher Charlotte Walker plans to study the endangered gold coin tortoise species essential to the island's ecology. She also hopes to investigate her suspicion that her father, whom she never knew, came from Tuga. She travels by boat from England, and on her voyage she meets and falls for Tuga native Dan Zekri. Upon arrival, Charlotte discovers that Dan is engaged to a physiotherapist on the island. She tries to avoid Dan, paying more attention to her attractive host, Levi Mendoza, and his "distracting abdominals." She also encounters roadblocks to her research, such as from island elder Grand Mary, who bars Charlotte from viewing historic records in her personal library. Eventually, Charlotte secures access to the records in exchange for treating Grand Mary's cat and endears herself to others by helping with their pets and livestock. Tensions flare when she's torn between Dan and Levi, fueling island gossip. Though some of the plot points feel unresolved, Segal vividly portrays life in a close-knit community, where people like Charlotte are labeled FFA (Folk From Away). This is worth a look.
