350 pages Harlequin Trade Publishing Park Row December 7, 2021 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Set on a secluded island off the British coast, The Women of Pearl Island is a moving and evocative story of family secrets, natural wonders and a mystery spanning decades.
When Tartelin answers an ad for a personal assistant, she doesn’t know what to expect from her new employer, Marianne, an eccentric elderly woman. Marianne lives on a remote island that her family has owned for generations, and for decades her only companions have been butterflies and tightly held memories of her family.
But there are some memories Marianne would rather forget, such as when the island was commandeered by the British government during WWII. Now, if Marianne can trust Tartelin with her family’s story, she might finally be able to face the long-buried secrets of her past that have kept her isolated for far too long.
MY THOUGHTS
I’ve had The Women of Pearl Island on my shelf for over 2 years and now that I’ve read it, I regret waiting so long.
This is a different read, an ending I couldn’t possibly have seen coming. A story that is a time slip, taking place in two time periods, 2018 and 1955. Set on a secluded island off the British coast, there are secrets, lots of secrets. You really feel locked in while reading this as it’s so hard to put down.
A young woman is hired as a personal assistant to an elderly woman who’s lived on this secluded island all of her life. There were family members at one time, now she lives with memories of the past and butterflies.
As we slide back and forth in the time periods the book takes on a surreal and mystical quality during the old lady’s musings when the past comes to life. The atmosphere changes as the book progresses but there is a foreboding feeling hovering over the book. The cover will fool you into thinking the book is one way, but the inside is different than you could imagine.
The author is very talented, and the presentation is excellent. You can vividly imagine the two time periods. A compelling read that will have more searching for more by this author.
Pub Date 07 Dec 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Polly Crosby grew up on the Suffolk coast, and now lives with her husband and son in the heart of Norfolk.
Polly’s third novel, Vita & the Birds, came out in May this year. Her first novel for young adults, This Tale is Forbidden – a dystopian fractured fairytale with hints of the Brother’s Grimm and The Handmaid’s Tale – is out in January next year with Scholastic.
In 2018, Polly won Curtis Brown Creative’s Yesterday Scholarship, which enabled her to finish her debut novel, The Illustrated Child. Later the same year, she was awarded runner-up in the Bridport Prize’s Peggy Chapman Andrews Award for a First Novel. Polly received the Annabel Abbs Creative Writing Scholarship at the University of East Anglia.
Polly can be found on Twitter, Instagram & Tiktok as @WriterPolly
Website: pollycrosby.com
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