Islands of Mercy

This book is a brilliant multi-layered story.

Taking us from the genteel tea rooms of Bath to the jungles of Borneo via the slums of Dublin and glorious Paris.

Islands of Mercy is a book which explores the nature of love with well drawn, complicated characters.

Rose Tremain is a master storyteller.

Rose Tremain is a genius storyteller. In ‘Islands of Mercy’ she gives us yet another multi-layered narrative exploring, both literally and metaphorically, the importance of understanding who we are and our place in the world. From the jungles of Borneo to London’s relaxed soirées, from arak and rice served in a mud hut to Victoria sponge in the tea rooms of Bath, from a slum in Dublin to a rajah’s palace, the author explores many types of love, the importance of generosity of spirit and the need for mercy in a world full of greed and ignorance.
Set in 1865, we are introduced to Bath through the delightful Clorinda Morrissey, an Irish emigrant who has set up a tea shop in the city. Throughout the novel, Tremain uses her as an example of someone who, despite past suffering, has the strength of character to do what she must to protect those whom she loves. This includes the ‘Angel of the Baths’ Jane, nurse and daughter of the renowned Dr William Adeane. Jane escapes to her artist aunt’s bohemian London home after refusing a marriage proposal from her father’s sidekick, Dr Valentine Ross. There she falls outrageously in love with the beautiful Julietta and becomes one of the latter’s many ‘beauties’, albeit a particularly special one. Nevertheless, after a trip to Paris during which she grows even more obsessed with her lover, she is persuaded to reconsider Ross’s proposal when she returns to Bath.
On the other side of the world in Borneo, Valentine’s younger brother explorer Edmund is lost in the jungle. Whilst the English ‘rajah’ Sir Ralph Savage worries for his safety, his Malay servant and lover, Leon, is secretly delighted that the young man has disappeared. When Valentine boards a ship bound for the East in search of his brother, his quest reveals far more to him about himself than he could have possibly imagined back in England.
This is a wonderful novel. As ever, Tremain’s research is impeccable. Her knowledge of the times is woven into her storytelling so naturally that the reader is immediately immersed in the worlds of nineteenth century Bath, London, Paris, Sarawak and Dublin. And, further back in time, the title of this novel brings to mind Shakespeare’s suggestion that, ‘The quality of mercy is not strained./It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven…’ Whilst ‘Islands of Mercy’ acknowledges the exploration necessary to truly understand the self, it also suggests that it is in still, quiet moments that we may learn the most.
My thanks to NetGalley and Chatto & Windus for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain:

The novel follows Jane Adeane, a young woman working as a nurse in Bath in the mid 19th century. Jane is only too aware that she is unusual and different (not only is she extraordinarily tall, but she is also attracted to women), and she is torn between a female lover and the pressure to conform to convention and marry a respectable doctor. But Jane believes she is destined for other things.
Meanwhile, Sir Ralph Savage, a British ‘rajah’ in Borneo, is battling demons of his own. Compromised by his transgressive passions, and the invasive power of the rainforest which continually thwarts his schemes, Savage must fight to survive. His and Jane’s interconnected stories take them from the genteel tearooms of Bath, to the steamy jungles of Borneo, via Dublin and Paris. It is a sumptuous, intricately told tale, full of beautiful imagery and complicated characters. With ‘Islands of Mercy’, Tremain has shown yet again what a master storyteller she is.

Once again, Rose Tremain has produced a beautifully moving and rich novel. Initially the multiple story lines feel a little jarring, but eventually build into a powerful thread of storytelling that explores the way people seek freedom, power, beauty and love.

The Victorian world - from the well-to-do streets of Bath to London's Bohemian salons, to the jungle of Borneo - is conjured so remarkably, and its characters are so powerfully constructed, from fierce and fearless Jane to the gentlemanly doctor whose anger writhes beneath the surface.

Wonderful storytelling.

I requested because I love her books and I wasn't disappointment. Rose Tremain is so good at presenting her characters, warts and all, so they stand clearly before you, yet she does this in so few words. I loved this from beginning to end.

Islands of Mercy is a brilliant book. Covering places from Dublin, Paris, Borneo and Bath with the main 4 characters so well defined and are visible to your minds eye with ease. I could have read this novel in one sitting (if only time would allow me to) it is a rich delight of a story with intriguing characters that keep you guessing. The story is well told with a constant interest. I do not remember ever reading Rose Tremain before and I shall now seek out her books. A great read, loved it.

What a rich cast of characters and broad variety of locations is here brought to life by strong characterisation and vivid description. All of the senses are engaged, sound being strong, smell being overwhelming from sweet perfume to the stench of disease.

The disparate story lines at first felt disjointed but were all skilfully woven together, with the breathless unravelling and the many surprises lasting until the very last page.

So much powerful human emotion is here, love turned to hate by jealousy, empathy, greed, lust for power, compassion, joy, despair. Relationships, both loving and troubled within families and between couples are exposed and explored. Adult behaviour has its roots, for example, in feelings of being the less favoured child, and finally another less favoured child escapes to a happy life.

This is a story of the best and worst of human nature ending with a powerful sense of hope. A truly satisfying book which has what many do not: a beginning, a middle and an end.

I loved this! This a story of self determination and life paths chosen; what are the driving forces of our lives? What motivates? What holds us back? The characters are well drawn, the settings, Ireland, Bath and Borneo. The women seem stronger than the men, capable of rolling with life’s punches, while the men seem rather ineffectual. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I'm struggling to write just how much I enjoyed this book.

Jane is a nurse in Bath, working with her doctor father, and frequently requested by patients as having some kind of special healing touch; she's unusually tall so stands out from the crowd as she accompanies her patients to the baths. Her father's assistant, Dr Valentine Ross is taken by her charms and sets out to propose to her - little does he know of her passionate love affair with the exotic Julietta...

On the other side of the world, Valentine's brother Edward, a naturalist, is exploring the fauna and flora of Borneo. He finds himself in the company of Sir Ralph Savage, a colonialist building roads and trying to employ the natives in useful occupations - including taking one, Leon, as his lover.

The two stories gradually blend together in a clever and enticing way. The characters are bold, colourful and exciting; the scenery vivid and intricately described; and the narrative proceeds passionately throughout. Couldn't put this down and already recommending it widely! Thank you Rose Tremain!

Having long been a lover of Rose Tremain’s work, the opportunity to read Islands of Mercy was greatly appreciated, and the writing of this national treasure is as strong, beautiful and engrossing as ever. The characters here are vividly drawn and engender strong likes and dislikes - the main protagonist, Jane, is an unusual woman in Victorian England, being both exceptionally tall and attracted to women. The main villain (the man who wants to marry Jane) is a very nasty piece of work and the story is peopled with other marvellously convincing and varied characters, with their compassion, love, hatred and prejudice, all wrapped up in wonderful story telling. The book is set in London, Bath, Paris, Borneo and Ireland and Tremain’s descriptions of place leap off the page in vivid pictures - the colours, smells, tastes and textures in the writing could not be more real. The several strands of story here are brought together with a skill that leaves the reader both bereft when the book is finished, and in awe of the author’s skill.