Two sisters in St Lucia, Ella and Agnes Deterville both dream of better things for their life but they both wish for very different lives. When their father passes away Agnes takes steps to make her dreams of going to England a reality, Ella can’t imagine leaving her village.
Agnes leaves for the 1950’s life in England leaving her sister behind, the two sisters have to find a way to make their love for each other span an ocean whilst they contend with heartbreak and tragedy alone.

This story had me captivated right from the start, it was created with such care. Covering some tough topics with sensitivity whilst not disguising the hard reality. The characters were really relatable and I felt a part of their dreams, willing them to succeed following their every up and down. I felt like I got in their mindset and understood how they must have felt through the process of relocating their lives and the adjustments in the aftermath.
I had an audiobook version and I found the narrator to enhance my overall experience and enjoyment of the story bringing a feeling of authenticity.

I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a heartfelt read in the historical literature genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for offering this ARC in exchange for my personal thoughts.

This was such a beautifully written novel; emotional, powerful &full of love and hope. It doesn’t shy away from heavy topics but they’re handled with care & really add depth to the story rather than weighing it down. I loved Agnes character she was such a strong, resilient character with such determination.

I listened to this on audio & the narrator was seamless! clear, steady & kept a perfect pace all the way through. She captured the emotion in every scene. It really added something special to the whole experience.

★★★★

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the pre publication audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, I was drawn into the characters immediately and was really interested to know how their stories were going to develop. I have heard of the Windrush generation, but before listening to this book I had no idea just how many people came to England during those years. It was sad, anger making and shameful how some white people treated the black immigrants. It was also terrible how our government convinced them that they would have much better lives here, then didn’t help more with providing the jobs they were promised. I am aware there has been more recent scandal regarding those families and their descendants, which I think still rumbles on. I’m hoping there will be a sequel to this novel exploring those issues.

The storylines of the two sisters, one of whom, Agnes. travels to England with high hopes of the life changing experience enriching her, and the other remaining in St. Lucia caring for Agnes’s children. I’ve never read a novel based partly in St Lucia, nor in this period of time from their perspective. It is a wonderful read which I definitely recommend to others.