Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2014
448 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
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.
"Freeman skillfully unites the stories of two women who live a century apart but both face the challenge of overcoming difficult pasts, and both under the lighthouse's watchful presence... Freeman's moving tale gives her two heroines the unique chance to make a fresh start in life." - Publishers Weekly
"The author's description of the beautiful Australian coastline will linger with readers long after they finish the book." - Kirkus
"Freeman weaves the two time periods together so seamlessly." - Booklist
"By the last satisfying scene, you may find yourself reluctantly parting with old friends who will live on once the cover has closed. Highly recommended." - Historical Novels Review
"[Freeman] made her characters come to life, the scenery visible through her words, and the story was believable and made me want to read more." - Book Nook Club
"A gorgeous story of family and secrets and the redemptive power of love." - Kate Morton, author of The Distant Hours and The Forgotten Garden
This information about Ember Island was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kimberley Freeman was born in London and grew up in Brisbane, Australia. She is the bestselling author of Wildflower Hill and Lighthouse Bay, and teaches critical and creative writing at the University of Queensland. She lives in Brisbane with an assortment of children and pets. Visit her website at KimberleyFreeman.com.
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