Tangled Secrets

Turning the Tide #3

by Carol Preston

In tragic circumstances Beth and her brothers are left in England to grow up without their parents. When Beth's childhood dream to be reunited with her father in Australia finally eventuates she finds that dreams do not always come true.
All that seems to follow is further abandonment. Will she ever find true love? And will she discover she doesn't have to be alone before it is too late?

Set in the early days of New South Wales and based on real characters in the mid 1800s.
Revisit Charlotte and Thomas from Charlott's Angel and Mary's Guardian, and meet new characters in this new novel which is a tangled web of disappointment, deceit and mistakes.

Genres: Historical, Historical Fiction, Christian

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Carol was born in Lithgow, NSW in 1948, and moved to the Illawarra at the age of five. In 1967 she married Neil Preston in Wollongong, where their two children, Tammy and Adam were born. Carol returned to study in 1976, and completed a PhD at Wollongong University in 1986, publishing numerous academic articles in psychological journals during that time. She had a counselling practice for 20 years until retiring in October 2017. One of Carol’s hobbies over many years has been family history research. It was this research which started Carol on the journey of writing novels. She has great admiration for the lives of her ancestors in Australia and has greatly enjoyed writing novels based on their stories and the inspiring history of the Australian people. She has written a trilogy about the Oakes Family; Suzannah’s Gold, Rebecca’s Dream and The Price of Peace, which takes the reader from 1838 when her great great grandmother, Suzannah Casey was transported from Ireland, through to the end of the First World War. Carol’s fourth novel, The Face of Forgiveness, is about two young Irish women who were transported to Australia in 1839 where they face two very different futures. Mary’s Guardian and Charlotte’s Angel are Carol’s fifth and sixth novels. These begin a series which begins with the First Fleet of convicts to Australian in 1788 and focuses on the fate of those who were Australia’s first white settlers. Tangled Secrets and Truly Free are the 3rd and 4th in this series. Next of Kin and Beyond the Fight are Carol's 9th and 10th novels and continue the story of her ancestors in Northern NSW.

Reviews

[Ausjenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in this series and we see more about the early days in Australia. This time we focus on Beth who has reunited with her father in Australia but it's not all she hoped. She ends up marrying and its not all she hoped for. While I enjoyed the story and the more I read the better it got I did find at times early it took a little longer to get into the story but as I continued the book got better and better. I have been trying to put a finger on what was different from Mary's Guardian and this book and realise it is the history, In the first book we learn a lot of the history of the time and learn historical facts where this book has a little of the history but is more focused on the story. I think myself I miss the historical facts of the time. I am looking forward to reading the last book in the series. Good read.

[Susan Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tangled Secrets is a historic fiction story written by Carol Preston. It has been well researched and set in the early 1800’s in the area inland from Sydney. It describes the life of the early settlers particularly focussing on one family and one female character. Tangled Secrets is an accurate title for the book as secrets from the past and new secrets complicate people’s lives in the present.

I found the characters very believable. A couple even reminded me of people I knew! Being set in Australia was a great bonus as I’m familiar with the history, the topography and even the climate.

I enjoyed the way Christian elements were woven into the story. There were no great epiphanies but an acknowledgement of God which reflected the period when it was written. Characters expressed faith, or lack of it, in different ways which gave the story a realistic feel. By the end of the book I realized that the theme of trusting God whatever happens had been threaded through the story without it being obvious. Likewise God was subtly portrayed as being gracious and forgiving.

I had not read the previous two books in the series and it is not necessary to do so as the story is complete in itself.

Overall a good read.

Thanks to Even Before Publishing for providing a free book for review.

[Omega Writers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eight reviews from our CALEB reviewers:

Three and three-quarter stars.

(1) Tangled Secrets is a historically accurate novel set in early to mid 19th century New South Wales. Carol writes in detail of the hardships, loneliness and often harsh circumstances of the men and women of that era. Faith in God, friendship, understanding and the support women gave one to the other was essential to survival as they worked to create a better world for their children.

Heroine Beth Thorne is trapped in an impossible marriage and is befriended by her neighbour Charlotte and sister-in-law Hannah. Tangled Secrets features aspects of life that few in the 21st century can imagine.

Anyone who is descended from early settlers or convict background may gain many insights from reading Carol’s novels on early Australia. Previous books are Charlotte’s Angel and Mary’s Guardian. Those who have read other narratives by Carol will meet old friends and new in Tangled Secrets. DS

(2) I enjoy Carol Preston’s books for their setting in the early years of Australia, and the way she weaves the current affairs and history of the Colony into the lives of the characters. It’s nice to meet characters from previous books and see how their lives develop and I look forward to reading any future books Carol writes. This is another family oriented book with all the usual trials and joys.

When Bill Nipperess was transported to Australia as a convict he left behind three children. His sisters looked after the children, but sadly his wife had died. Bill worked hard and honestly and was awarded a Ticket of Leave. He began to think about bringing his children out to Australia. Before this happened Bridget set her heart on winning Bill’s heart and having his children. But when Bill’s children arrived she wasn’t so keen on welcoming them, and she was actively unkind to Beth. Beth resisted Bridget’s efforts to get rid of her until the situation became too difficult and she made a hasty marriage to William without knowing him very well. Things do not go well from this point.

Bill and Bridget keep his convict background quiet. Beth feels shut out and abandoned, and distressed about the way William treats her but she is comforted by meeting Charlotte and Thomas, old friends from Carol Preston’s previous books, and William’s brother’s family is good to her too. But it takes a long time, many prayers and some organising before Beth’s life is untangled and she is free to have a happy future. LS

(3)

As the third novel in the Turning the Tide series, Tangled Secrets, revisits the early colonial days of New South Wales depicted by the author in Mary’s Guardian and Charlotte’s Angel. Set in 19th century Australia, the novel is based on the lives of real characters and ancestors of the author.

Along with her two younger brothers, Beth Nipperess, sets sail from England in 1839, hoping to be reunited with her father, a convict transported to Australia for poaching a lamb 9 years earlier.
Portraying the complexities of blended and extended families, the book explores the nature of faith and the influence it exerts on the choices individuals make in life. KL

(4)
An enjoyable story. I like the early Australian contents.
Reviewer for Bookseller's Choice section of CALEB Awards

(5)
I have other books by Carol Preston and I have enjoyed them all. They are simple stories and I like the historical Australian background to the books. I like the characters but don't find them terribly involving. They are enjoyable books, well-written and interesting but not with huge depth.
Reviewer for Bookseller's Choice section of CALEB Awards

(6)
I'm not a reader of romantic fiction, but I found this story very entertaining. It held my interest all through, plus it had the bonus of an Australian and Christian background.
Reviewer for Bookseller's Choice section of CALEB Awards

(7)
Good for teens, perhaps?
Reviewer for Bookseller's Choice section of CALEB Awards

(8)
A story very easy to read and to follow. It tells just how it was in the era of the story. Not sure that younger generations could believe it was not so easy to get out of marital situations then as it is in today's world.
Reviewer for Bookseller's Choice section of CALEB Awards

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit to rarely reading historical novels especially those set during the convict era, largely because I binged on them when I was younger, so this was a change for me. The speed at which I read this tells you how much I enjoyed it.
1829 Bill is convicted and transported for stealing a lamb to feed his starving family. He is transported to Australia leaving his daughter Beth and two sons with their aunt in England after his wife and young baby dies. His dream is to work hard and bring them out to Australia, which he finally does in 1840.
Beth couldn’t wait to be reunited and be a family again, but after she arrives in Australia she finds that there is a distinct impediment to the dreams of a happy family in the form of Bridget who is jealous and resents Bill’s daughter and sons. In an effort to relieve the pressure on Bill, Beth comes to a decision that leads her, not to the happiness she hoped but to further disappointment and heartbreak. But she is a strong character and not bowed by life.
This is an enjoyable read and I shed tears at a couple of places as I empathised with Beth and the dramas in her life. It is historical fiction but based on real people and events from historical records of the 1800s. It is obvious a huge amount of research has gone into the writing of this books I and it shows in the details. The Christian message is subtly woven into the story and the lives of the characters.
Some of the characters appeared in previous novels which I hadn’t read. But it didn’t matter. This story stands on its own. Carol Preston is a new author for me but I doubt this will be the last book of hers I read. I also loved the muted green-grey cover on this book and the pensive face of Beth.

[D.J. Blackmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carol Preston has crafted a wholesome book that engaged me from beginning to end. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, looking on at the families along the Hawkesbury, and watching Beth as she overcomes life's disappointments and hardships as a woman of integrity. Carol doesn't disappoint as she weaves a delicate romance, which had me yearning to see a happy union every bit as much as Beth's own family waited with bated breath, as God's will finally reveals itself to her and Beth gives in to love. The characters are strong, and their faults and foibles believable, and this for me gives the book credibility. Tangled Secrets is a story I have enjoyed more than many another for a long time.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth is eagerly looking forward to a new life with her father Bill who was transported to New South Wales as a convict but is now settled as a trusted farm employee. Her mother has died and she and her two brothers have been brought up by their aunts. The boys know nothing of their father's past, having been told he went to Australia to make a new home for them.

The vindictive jealousy of her father's love interest Bridget leads her to make a tragic decision: she accepts a proposal of marriage from a virtual stranger. William's broken childhood resonates with her, drawing her sympathy. But slowly, ever so slowly, it becomes apparent William is too shattered to ever cope or act as a husband. He is moody, withdrawn, obsessively neat and perfectionistic, secretly alcoholic.

While Beth tries to keep secret the growing tragedy of her marriage, her new mother-in-law is desperate to keep Bill's past hidden. Beth is sure her brothers will inevitably find out and no good will come of it.

Although slow-moving at times, the story is pulled along by the characters who are so flawed with the brokenness of their own humanity they invite the reader to keep going to find out if their problems are ever resolved.

[Ruth Bonetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The central character Beth arrives in the colony from England mid 1840 to join her Ticket of Leave convict father Bill; he is ravaged with guilt and grief when Martha is left to raise four children and she and the three-month old youngest die, leaving the others in the care of aunts. Beth is 17 when she arrives in Australia with her two brothers. Their reunion is marred by Bridget who has every intention of marrying their father and whose jealousy of Beth under Bill's blind eye makes life so miserable that his daughter is desperate to escape. That she agrees to marry William Thorne on the second meeting beggars belief, especially as he is rigid, odd and has no redeeming qualities. A traumatic childhood is blamed for what would be now deemed obsessive compulsive disorder and possibly autism spectrum. One has to wonder why she agreed to this incompatible and loveless union, especially as Thorne has no interest in her once the ring is on her finger and she falls pregnant within weeks. The story follows Beth's ten years of raising son George alone, abandoned by William, of her many tears and struggles alleviated only by friendships. The marriage is annulled so she can marry Philip who has made no secret of his love for years. Happy ending.

This is an era that interests me and I feel Carol Preston's writing is better overall in this than in her earlier 'Mary's Guardian' (I haven't read the book in between but that didn't detract from this story.) It was easy reading and pictured colonial life with some credibility. It would have been strengthened with more light and dark to the characters especially of the all-bad William and Bridget. The title refers to secrets and here the story could have been strengthened. There are hints of causes for Bridget's antagonism and possessiveness in her determination to not look back or reveal secrets of her past. One assumes she covers up a convict background but the true reason, when revealed seems an anti-climax. Her insistence that Bill should not reveal his own convict past to his sons could have been turned to a greater escalation of tension and resolution, instead of remaining a dull question mark; 'will he ever tell them?'

Like Preston, I love to reveal information through dialogue, so it was interesting for me to see how this works. It's been pointed out to me that readers can switch off on long stretches of such dialogue and to insert some action so they can picture the characters and how they react. This is advice Preston appears to have taken also, but even so I can thank her for showing me that it's a technique best used sparingly. The opportunity to assess and rethink the use of dialogue has been useful and I will curb my own excesses in future.

[Paula Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth Nipperess and her two younger brothers have arrived in the colony of New South Wales to be reunited with their father, Bill, who had been deported as a convict when they were small. She longs for a fresh start, but finds herself having to make a difficult choice. Does she stay in the household where her father's jealous new wife fiercely resents her, or should she accept a marriage proposal from a man who seems to have a few odd ways?

In hindsight, poor Beth realises that her decision was made too hastily. She'd been too young and desperate to figure out if the lifestyle she was jumping into was really any better than the one she was anxious to escape. How do you deal with a spouse like William, with his extreme need for personal order and lack of empathy for anyone else? She sees no future choice but to accept her consequences and give up hoping for true love.

Beth's dad, Bill, is caught between a rock and a hard place too. There seems no way for him to honour the wishes of his wife and be frank with his young sons about his past at the same time. He has to decide which good intention to sacrifice but will he make the right choice?

I was glad to see my old favourites, Charlotte and Thomas Douglass, taking up a good supportive role in this story too. Their daughter, Maria, has a quandary of her own. She is in love with Beth's devoutly pious brother, Nipper, the one young man who might be most likely to reject her based on a past mistake. But she is determined that he is the only man for her. How can she possibly win his heart?

As I know the author bases these novels on events in her own family history, I always read them with a bit of trepidation, nervous that something sad may happen to characters I love. This ending made me happy and curious to find out what will happen in the final book, Truly Free.

Carol Preston has a lovely way of weaving descriptions of the Aussie country landscape into her stories. I'd read Tangled Secrets before and just wanted to refresh myself, but ended up being drawn in to read the whole book again.

[Rose Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the series. Loved it.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel wasnt as enjoyable to read as the others int he series. It is well written and edited but just missed the mark. I do still recommend it thought, worthwhile reading.

[Wyndy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent story with understanding of the trauma many people suffer in childhood when they have been abandoned by their parents. The story describes how abandonment can affect two different men and what it is like for the woman in their lives as she deals with the emotional damage as they try to become men with families and responsibilities. Set in the 1800's in Australia, the pathos and how to overcome the damage with the help of faith and extended family moves this story along at a satisfying pace.

[Jenny Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, I loved this book, it brings tears of sadness and joy and it kept me spellbound to the last page.