Ember Island
A Novel
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4.6 • 11 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In a compelling, complex story from the bestselling author of Wildflower Hill and Lighthouse Bay, two women separated by a century discover long-buried secrets in an Australian manor house.
In 1891, Tilly Kirkland is reeling with shock and guilt after her tempestuous marriage ends in horrific circumstances. Fleeing to the farthest place she knows, Tilly takes a job on Ember Island in Moreton Bay, Australia, where she becomes the governess to the prison superintendent’s precocious young daughter, Nell. Tilly knows she must keep the past hidden in order to start a new life, but she doesn’t know that Nell is watching her every move and writing it all down, hiding tiny journals all over their rambling manor home.
More than one hundred years later, bestselling novelist Nina Jones is struggling to complete her next book. A reporter asking questions about her great-grandmother sends Nina retreating to her family’s home on Ember Island, where she hopes to find her lost inspiration somewhere in the crumbling walls.
Though they are separated by years, both Tilly and Nina must learn that some secrets never stay buried, but what matters most is learning to trust your heart.
Customer Reviews
Good book that could have been a GREAT Book
I loved most of this book and could not put it down. The twists and turns and surprises were wonderful. The writing is great. The author succeeds in luring you into the story of the past and you feel like you know the characters and you are right there with them. It’s a great book to take on vacation or if you just want to feel like you are on vacation with a glass of wine and quietude. I would have given it 5 stars if the entire book was written as well as the storyline of the past between Tilly, Nell and Sterling. Where the book took a wrong turn, in my opinion, is with the modern day Romance (I don’t want to reveal too much here).
Where the story loses me and makes me roll my eyes back in thinking “really?” is the current storyline of Nina on her quest to overcome writer’s block. This in of itself is believable as is her pain of a romance that ended badly and hurt.
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SPOILERS AHEAD - PLEASE DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT THE SPOILER
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What is not believable: Nina cannot have children and they day she comes to the island the most gorgeous, single dad falls into her hands and within weeks they are madly in love but Nina is pretending that she could not possibly get involved with him (it’s just won’t work). Never mind that he has the perfect parents and a son who adores Nina after their first meeting. Never mind that she saves the kid’s life … it goes on and on. This is the part of the story that frustrates me. It’s a shame that this storyline was irritating to get through and kind of disturbed the beautiful equilibrium of the book. I wish authors would stop tossing in a fast and furious love story into an already great book.