Review by Booklist Review
Willig (The English Wife, 2018) sets her latest historical outing in nineteenth-century Barbados, alternating between the story of heiress Emily Dawson journeying to Peverills, the estate left to her by her grandfather, in 1854 and that of Charles Davenant, who inherited the estate in 1812, much to the consternation of his hot-headed younger brother. While Emily grows close to both a handsome Barbadian doctor and the eager young heir to Beckles, the estate neighboring Peverills, she also learns more about her family and makes a startling discovery concerning their history. And in 1812, Charles is under pressure to marry Mary Anne, the headstrong mistress of Beckles, who is under the thumb of her nefarious uncle, even as he finds himself falling for Mary Anne's enslaved maid, Jenny. When he learns Jenny shares his feelings, the two embark on an affair that will have far-reaching consequences. Though Emily's story is much slower to start and initially far less compelling than Charles', Willig masterfully brings the two together in this evocative, engaging epic.--Kristine Huntley Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rich settings, romantic intrigue, and engaging characters will draw readers into this dramatic epic of estate owners and slavery in 19th-century colonial Barbados from Willig (The English Wife). Emily Dawson has arrived in Barbados from England, and she surprises her new neighbor Dr. Nathaniel Braithright, the nephew of a wealthy freedman, by proclaiming her inheritance of the nearby derelict sugar plantation called Peverills. The story then reaches back to 1812, when connections between the plantation families and their slaves are gradually revealed through the relationships of landowners such as Mary Anne Beckles, as well as Mary Anne's maid Jenny. Mary Anne marries and becomes pregnant, and soon Jenny is expecting as well, but lineages are questioned and, in Jenny's case, shrouded with mystery. The narrative alternates between the period of 1812-1816 and 1854: in the earlier age, ardent battles for love and land shape the future, while in 1854, Emily struggles to rebuild and run a plantation, but she's filled with the same uncertainty that underlies her attempts to understand hidden details of her family line. The physical and emotional passions of the characters keep the stakes high and the pages turning, making this a powerful exploration of slavery and reformation on Barbados. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A tale of two sugar plantations on Barbados before and after the abolition of slavery.In 1854, Emily Dawson and her cousin Adam arrive on the island of Barbados in the British West Indies, he to secure contracts for the family shipping company and she to take possession of Peverills, the plantation she unexpectedly inherited from their late grandfather, Jonathan Fenty. Fenty, once the bookkeeper at Peverills, had been a "Redleg"the Barbadian term for poor whitesbut then he had escaped to England and made his fortune. On arriving in Barbados, Emily and Adam meet their grandfather's wealthy business associate, Mr. Turner (a former slave), and his nephew, Nathanial Braithwaite, a medical doctor, who will figure heavily in Emily's future. During an uprising of enslaved people that led to emancipation in 1816, Peverills was burned down and has laid in ruins ever since. Beckles, the neighboring plantation, is run by the imperious Mrs. Davenant with the assistance of her grandson, George. The action shifts back and forth between 1812-1816 and 1854 as the tangled histories of the two plantations painstakingly emerge. In 1812, Charles Davenant, the older son lately returned from England, has inherited Peverills, much to the chagrin of his younger brother, Robert. Charles tries to mollify Robert by encouraging him to court Mary Anne, heiress to Beckles. Charles' heart belongs to Mary Anne's enslaved maid, Jenny, the mixed-race daughter of Mary Anne's uncle. Jenny is torn between loving Charles and her struggle for freedom. Complications, rivalries, and plot points ensue, leading up to mysteries surrounding Emily's lineage. Willig's (The English Wife, 2018, etc.) decision to alternate chapters between the two time periods, rather than adopt a more straightforward chronology, means that information about who's who is withheld in a way that slackens the book's momentum. Characters of all races are fully fleshed out as Willig confronts the island's complex racial dynamics, in particular the sexual exploitation of enslaved women and its consequences.A deep dive into Caribbean history which requires, and ultimately rewards, close reading. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
