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Saturday, September 1, 2018

Island in the East by Jenny Ashcroft


Title:  Island in the East
Author: Jenny Ashcroft
Publisher: 12th July 2018 Little Brown Book Groups UK Sphere
Pages: 416 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction
My Rating: 5 crowns

Synopsis:

Two great loves. One shattering betrayal. A war that changes everything.
Singapore, 1897
Harriet and Mae Grafton are twenty-year-old identical twins born from a scandalous affair. They grew up in India slighted by gossip and ostracised from polite society. They had each other and that was enough. But when their wealthy benefactor sends them to Singapore, they meet the mysterious Alex Blake and their relationship fractures with devastating consequences.
1941
Ivy Harcourt is posted to wartime Singapore amid the looming threat of Japanese invasion. Ivy knows the island will be a far cry from war-torn London, but she is totally unprepared for what awaits her: strangers from her grandmother Mae's past, an unstoppable love affair and a shattering secret that's been waiting to be uncovered . . .

Vivid, authentic and utterly beautiful, Island in the East is evocative, atmospheric and romantic historical fiction at its very best.

My Thoughts
Jenny Ashcroft's Island in the East is beautifully written and is unquestionably historical fiction at its best. This novel contains everything that I love about the genre; intricately depicted dual timelines, epic romance, complex characters and impressive research.

The novel moves between the story of Mae and her twin sister Harriet who are sent to the island in the late 1800s; and Mae's granddaughter, Ivy, an intelligence officer with the navy who arrives in Singapore in the early 1940's to work as a translator.  With the impending Japanese invasion looming, Ivy discovers mysteries from her grandmothers past, a past she knew nothing about.  As the story progresses, past and present become irrevocably intertwined as secrets emerge, and loves and losses are revealed.  The heartbreak of war, the horrors of existence in an internment camp, the bitterness of betrayal and the agony of love are all written beautifully making this story emotive magic.

From the first few sentences, Jenny Ashcroft transports her readers directly into steamy, exotic Singapore with her skilful lyricism.  As the pages are turned, anyone who has lived in the tropics, or even dreamed of nights in such a place, can almost hear the endless song of the cicadas pulsing through the evening air as the close, humid air traces a sweaty trail along their spine.  It is obvious that Jenny Ashcroft has lived, and loved, the tropics and there is nothing more wonderful than to be sucked into these exotic locations by words alone. 

Island in the East is written with deep emotion, a deep and abiding compassion for those caught up in the horror of war, and with an impressive attention to detail.  Lovers of sumptuously written, dual time line stories, this is definitely the book for you.




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

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