Spindrift

by Tamara McKinley

An epic emotional journey about love and sacrifice set between the magical Isle of Skye and the promising new frontier of distant Tasmania.

'Oh, how magnificent,' Christy's granddaughter breathed as the ferry followed a curve in the water and they had a clear view of Dunvegan Castle at the end of the loch. 'It's like a fairy-tale castle.' She turned to Christy, her face radiant. 'How does it feel to be home again after all this time?' Christy felt the tears prick and gathered the tartan shawl closer, her gaze avoiding the hated castle and all it stood for. 'I don't know whether to laugh or cry,' she confessed. 'I've seen so many changes already that I'm almost frightened of what I'll find when we arrive . . .'

1905. Christy has always dreamed of making the journey from her home in Tasmania back to the wild and beautiful Scottish island where she was born - the Isle of Skye, nicknamed 'cloud island' by the Old Norse people - to once again lay eyes on the tumbling waterfalls and dramatic coastlines of her homeland. And now, in her sixty-fifth year, Christy has finally decided to go, her mistrustful daughter Anne and beloved granddaughter Kathryn acting as companions. But what Anne and Kathryn don't realise is that Christy's past is darker and more textured than they could know, and that in returning to Skye they will unearth bittersweet memories long-buried - memories that will ultimately change the course of the three women's lives forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Roman

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

TAMARA MCKINLEY was born in Launceston, Tasmania, and was forced to come to England with her grandmother to finish her education at an all girls’ boarding school in Sussex. Her childhood experiences and the enduring memories of her amazing grandmother and two extraordinary great-aunts, form the back-bone of her novels which are coloured with the red, green and gold of her beloved Australia.

Having raised her three children in the Eastbourne area she started to write psychological thrillers before returning to her roots in the form of Australian family sagas set against the backdrop of the outback pioneers. She is now household name in Germany where her books go straight into the bestsellers' list with each title selling around 4 million copies. Her books are also popular in Scandinavia, especially Sweden where her first saga, Matilda's Last Waltz was voted the booksellers novel of the year. In her homeland of Australia she is considered by many to be "Britain's Best Kept Secret".

Her eight Aussie sagas to date are published in at least 15 different languages and can be found worldwide.

Tamara now lives and writes on the south coast of England but travels to her homeland every year to promote her work, carry out research and visit her eldest son and her two grandsons.

Psychological Thrillers: Reap the Whirlwind and Queens Flight (Hodder & Stoughton)

Family Sagas: Matilda's Last Waltz (2000), Jacaranda Vines (2001), Windflowers (2002), Summer Lightning (2003), Undercurrents (2004) and Dreamscapes (2005) (Piatkus Books)

Lands Beyond the Sea, the first book of her Oceana trilogy, has been published in hardback and paperback by Hodder Stoughton. A Kingdom For The Brave, the second in the trilogy, was published in hardback in the UK on 6th March 2008.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was 1905 and two weeks after the death and funeral of Christy’s beloved husband, she announced to her children, Hamish, James and Anne, their wives and husband, and her granddaughter Kathryn that she was sailing from her home in Tasmania to visit her place of birth – the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The uproar was immediate but Christy was adamant. It had been a lifelong dream after she had arrived at the tender age of fifteen with her two brothers on the shores of Tasmania – she needed to see the place of her childhood before she died.

A compromise was reached in which Christy was accompanied by her daughter Anne along with Kathryn. Anne wasn’t a keen traveller (to put it mildly) and did nothing but criticize, but Kathryn was extremely excited. She loved her grandmother and could see that this journey was important to her.

The arrival on the Isle of Skye was an emotional one for Christy; the memories were sharp as though it had all happened just days ago. And as they travelled in the rickety old trap pulled by the old horse, Jock, their guide and distant relative Gregor MacGregor was a font of information. Gradually Christy told Anne and Kathryn the stories of her childhood – heartbreaking and dreadful as they were. There were dark secrets too that Christy knew needed to be told. Would those very secrets drive her family away – or bring them closer together? Either way, changes to lives would be made…

Spindrift by Aussie author Tamara McKinley is a deeply moving and emotional story which tells of a heartbreaking past; and a strong and resilient young woman who forges her own way into the future, creating a family for which she has a deep, abiding love. She made mistakes – who doesn’t – but it made her a stronger person for it. Spindrift is an excellent historical fiction novel which I have no hesitation in recommending highly.

With thanks to Hachette Australia for my ARC to read and review.

[Odette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great historical novel and mystery, Spindrift is set in two different locations, Australia and the Isle of Skye. This story of Christy and her family is also set in two different time periods 1904 and 1840s.

Christy, Anne her daughter and Kathryn her grand daughter make the sea voyage to Christy's birthplace, the Isle of Skye. While they are reliving the sadness of her early life there, Anne's husband, Harold is trying to locate some mysterious documents back home. Family secrets are gradually being revealed, including misfortune and mistakes made in the past..

The author brings places to life with her great descriptions. I enjoyed the landscape of Skye, which I could clearly see in my mind. Some of the characters were hard to relate to initially, especially Anne. Though a product of their era, they did develop and grow as the book progressed.

Spindrift drew me in with the style of writing and the suspense of the mystery. I found this a very interesting book to read and highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of the book to review.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spindrift by Tamara McKinley is a novel to hide in between the covers or wrapped comfortably in your woollen tartan shawl as you slowly drift through the pages on a seabound adventure.

It's in The Isle of Skye where you'll be beside towering black cliffs where waterfalls tumble to the sea and the mist of 'spindrift' become lost in the soft veil of rain.

You'll be on a voyage to Pacific Islands, Rio and Morocco until your destination finds you looking at Dunvegan Castle in Scotland.

It's a grandmother's journey to show you how important it is to say the things we need to say - to tell those we love how we feel. Because once they're gone it's too late.

Spindrift is a pioneering adventure where you'll find yourself sailing on high seas to all different parts of the world and back to Tasmania, Australia where the journey begins.

Be wild and spindrift - floating across the land in search of somewhere to settle - adrift.

Be free and embrace it as if you are nothing but a gypsy.

Sit back and enjoy this adventurous novel, Spindrift that changes the lives of three different women forever by Tamara McKinley.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you #Goodreads for this wonderful book in exchange for a review. This is a story about Christy who ventures back with her daughter and granddaughter to the place of her birth.
She tells of her life with each place she visits.
It is a story that touches the heart.
A tale of hardship, unbearable loss and a secret that Christy hoped she would never have to reveal.
Christys past becomes entwined with her future and her family stand to lose everything.
I really enjoyed this book and it has joined my other books on my to read another day shelf.
A wonderful story that the author has written on a blank page and created a masterpiece.
Highly recommended.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like family sagas set in the past with secrets that return to haunt the protagonists years later, then look no further than Tamara McKinley's epic novels. 'Spindrift ' is no exception, and while I enjoyed the story and stuck with it to the end, there were a few niggles for me. Christy is recently widowed and returns to the Isle of Skye to confront her past when her family were victims of the cruel clearances; her daughter and granddaughter accompany her and she relates some of her past to them. So far, so good. But the daughter (Anne) was so annoying in her rudeness and obnoxiousness it felt unrealistic. While they are in Scotland, her sons in Australia receive word that a shameful family secret will soon be uncovered. The rest of the story involves this secret and the story flits to Tasmania, the Barossa Valley and Sydney, while the author keeps hinting at this shameful secret. I'm afraid it was difficult for me to feel the full impact of the secret as I was reading this with a 21st century perspective and thinking 'So what', but for a genteel person in 1905 it would have been disastrous. But the whole story was so drawn out and none of the characters except Christy really likeable, I sometimes lost interest. Two further niggles: it is impossible to see the Tasman Peninsula and Storm Bay from Bellerive; and the sentence 'It was still winter in this southern corner of the world although it was late May' makes no sense as winter does not even begin until June. Methinks the author, while born in Tasmania, may not have been there for a while, and thus the book needed better research or a more diligent editor.

[Tanya Boulter · Rating 2 out of 5]

struggling with this so far...hope it gets better.
well it didnt get much better but I stuck it out. was ok wouldn't rave about it

[Marjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heerlijk boek !

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spindrift tells the story of Christy MacInnes, a 65-year-old woman living in Tasmania. In 1905, after the death of her husband, she goes back to the Isle of Skye, her homeland, with her daughter and granddaughter. During the journey, she tells the story of her younger years. But there are also events happening back in Tasmania and Australia, which the rest of the family has to deal with.

For me, what drew me to the book is the setting on Skye. A line of my husband's family come from there and I have been a few times, so I thought it would be very interesting to read about it from a historical angle. It was quite fun to follow their journey to Skye and read about the places I've seen myself. I did learn a bit about what happened there during the Highland clearances - I have always wondered why there are so many ruins of houses on Skye and in the Highlands in general, and only knew part of the story. The descriptions of Skye really bring it to life, and I could picture it well in my head. It brought me back to my holidays there.

The tagline of the book, "The island will always call to her..." is tad misleading though, as only maybe a third of the book is actually set on Skye.

I was very interested to read about Australia and New Zealand in the 19th century and wasn't disappointed. The characters are all human, with their flaws and personalities.

From the very beginning, we are told there is a terrible secret, which we don't actually learn about until the last quarter of the book. It was quite well executed, but I have to admit I got annoyed with the constant referring to the secret after a while - tell us, already. I felt at the end that the secret was quite anti-climatic to what I had been led to expect, and a great deal of pain and worry could have been avoided had the characters been a bit more honest. They were really annoying by the end and I wanted to shake them and tell them to stop being so difficult. But I guess that's what makes them human.

The multiple points of view worked well here, although I still am not a fan of this technique, but that is just personal taste. I find it very frustrating to go from one point of view to the next and to be left hanging. I also tend to roll my eyes at clichés such as "she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding" (not a 100% accurate quote, but it appeared a couple of times in the book), but overall I did enjoy the writing style.

So, all in all, I think it was a good read albeit a tad frustrating. I think readers who like multiple points of view will like Spindrift better than me. The historical element is what drew me to it, and I wasn't disappointed, so I'm happy with that.


Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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More reviews on my blog.

[Leboudoirdulivre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merci à Mylène des éditions L’Archipel et NetGalley pour ce très beau livre de Tamara McKinley. Lune de Tasmanie n’a pas détrôné la fabuleuse saga de « La pension du bord de mer » où chaque tome est un coup de cœur mais a une bonne place dans ma PAL. Une très belle lecture en période de confinement.

Bellerive, Tasmanie. Fin 1904.

Christy a réuni tous ses enfants pour leur annoncer son projet. Un projet réfléchi après l’enterrement de son mari deux semaines auparavant.

Renouer avec ses racines, son retour sur l’île de Skye après tant d’années est l’occasion de raconter son histoire à sa fille Anne et à Kathryn, sa petite-fille dont elle est si fière.

L’occasion de se rapprocher de sa fille qui ne lui pardonne pas son mensonge depuis tant d’années.

Au fil de sa redécouverte des lieux de son enfance, se dévoile l’histoire de Christy, des horreurs de son enfance de celles qui vous hantent à jamais.

Pendant ce temps, en Tasmanie, Harold, le mari d’Anne apprend qu’une femme détiendrait un secret qui les ruineraient tous. Vérité ou mensonges pour les discréditer ?

L’histoire d’une femme qui malgré les tragédies a su faire preuve de force et de courage pour réussir sa vie de femme !

Quand on est démuni et face à la fatalité, on saisit la moindre opportunité et on défie son destin !


Le récit d’une enfant dans les années 1850 face aux déplacements forcés, à la famine, au froid, à la mort de ses proches, réduite à l’exil vers un pays inconnu mais toujours meilleur que celui où elle a enduré tant de souffrances. Le récit intergénérationnel d’une femme qui a su au péril du danger s’affranchir de la misère pour construire son destin, son empire et devenir une femme prospère pour que ses descendants ne connaissent pas ce qu’elle a vécu.

Tamara McKinley tient ses lecteurs en haleine jusqu’à la dernière page… On n’apprendra ce mystérieux et lourd secret que dans les dernières pages de cette épopée qui nous a conduit de l’Ecosse à l’Australie mettant en lumière l’avidité des chercheurs d’or, la sournoiserie des hommes et l’amour d’une mère prête à tout pour sa famille.

Un roman qui fait réfléchir sur la chance qu’on a de pouvoir faire des études, des choix… Grâce à nos anciens qui ont contribué à ce qu’on ait une vie meilleure qu’eux afin que leurs sacrifices ne soient pas vains !

Saisissant, prenant, bouleversant, « Lune de Tasmanie �� est un roman très fort en émotions avec des paysages à couper le souffle !

Ode aux grandes contrées lointaines dans la lignée des grandes sagas d’Anne Jacobs et de Sarah Lark, partez vers un voyage magnifique vers l’île de Skye dans le roman le plus personnel de Tamara McKinley !

[Stephalivres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorsque je vois le nom de cette autrice sur un livre, je me précipite dessus d’une part, et j’y met de grandes attentes d’autre part. Parce que j’apprécie ses livres depuis longtemps, et que je n’ai jamais été décue jusqu’à présent. J’avoue pourtant qu’à la lecture du début de ce livre, je n’ai pas été directement embarquée comme j’ai pu l’être pour d’autres. Il faut dire que j’avais lu la quatrième de couverture – ce que je fais rarement, pour rappel -, et je m’y étais projetée totalement différemment de son commencement. Mais on n’abandonne pas un livre parce qu’il n’est pas exactement écrit comme on l’attendait, bien au contraire, il faut laisser la surprise arriver ( surtout qu’il y a de grandes chances que, si vous le lisez, vous ne vous y projetiez pas comme moi..). Et la surprise est arrivée assez rapidement, j’ai plongé dans l’histoire en me détachant de ce que j’en attendais, et enfin j’ai été attrapée. L’écriture de Tamara Mckinley continue de me séduire, dans sa simplicité et son efficacité. J’ai été un peu refroidi par certains passages de la traduction qui utilisait un langage trop familier, détonnant complètement avec le reste, mais comme toujours je suis trop pinailleuse par moment. (Je sais qu’il y a bien pire alors je fais taire ma culpabilité !).

Cette fois-ci pourtant, en dehors du voyage proposée par ce roman a travers l’île de skye puis la Tasmanie, en dehors de l’histoire fascinante contée par Christie qui m’a donnée envie de découvrir ce pan de l’histoire (Famine et immigration forcée), ce qui m’a le plus convaincue, c’est cette construction en forme d’enquête pour comprendre le secret qui tient mais détruit cette famille. Je me suis laissée surprendre, alors que soyons honnête je lis tellement de livre de ce genre quela plupart du temps, je sais à quoi m’attendre – mais j’adore ça, que voulez-vous…-. Cette fois-ci, je me suis laissée prendre en me disant « oh, ça doit être cela, le fin mot de l’histoire, mais sans certitude ». Et j’ai dévoré le livre pour enfin être sûre. C’était fort agréable, plus que de se dire « aucune surprise, c’est comme d’habitude ». Attention, ce n’est pas un polar, hein, je ne vous promet pas un twist formidable en cours de route, juste suffisemment de mystère pour avancer sans ennui !

Et voilà, encore un roman de cette autrice avec lequel j’ai passer un bon moment. Verdict…Vivement le prochain !

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow the trail of locations on the Literary Travel Agency: Spindrift

A very moving and heartbreaking story about a woman travelling across the world to literally step into her past and see her childhood again. This obviously causes more problems that she realises and if you’ve ever done similar, those feelings will leak out. Heartbreaking however for her past and her memories as they flicker into view and in the middle of a conversation with her daughter, that life comes to the fore as if a black and white photo of the past is placed over the colour present day.

This is definately a novel where the locations are central to the story line. Two central stories play out on two opposite ends of the world but it was the one in Skye which really captured my imagination. The scenes played outt here were awful and a shameful view of the past but evocative and raw. You can still ‘ smell’ and see them as Christy revists them for real. It’s a neat technique which more than carries the novel along

Even the way in which she travels to Tasmania and back to Skye all those years later is eventful. This is the story of a journey in every sense of the word. As she is remembering her life in Skye, life as she knows it is unravelling on the other side of the world.

I have to say that the characters, Christy’s family were interesting if a little harsh towards their mother. I did enjoy meeting Gregor MacGregor with his horse and trap – a man who knew the past and the present like the back of his hand. I wanted to spend time with him in his cottage with a hot cup of tea and ask him about the history of this place.

This is Christy’s story though and a one which unravels slowly but surely. It was slow moving but that just allowed the idea of how we are tethered to our past and where we’ve lived, to really shine through.

I always enjoy a bit of Scottish history and this was a tale which blended the emotional but the here and now.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this book, but in the end I had to conclude that it suffered from a severe lack of editing skills.
The blurb on the back of my book mentions a love affair with Hans Muller, so I waited the entire book to meet Hans. He is not mentioned once!! I assume that the author must have changed the name of the character that ended up as Peter Muller, but honestly, what a mistake to make.
The use of a 'family secret' to build drama and suspense didn't really work, in my opinion. The family secret was clearly referred to quite early on, and then the number of conversations that were shortened because the text just glossed over the part where the secret was mentioned. When we finally learn the secret, it is somewhat anti-climactic after building up over the entire book.
A high proportion of this book was dialogue; how I wished that something would happen! But apart from a little tripping around Skye, and the male characters dashing here and there over Australia, there was very little action. And the men dashing from all parts of Australia in 1905 ... the rapid rate at which they could achieve all these travels to me was quite ridiculous and unbelievable.
This was actually 2 books in one; the story of Christy and what happened to her family on Skye ... and the story of the family 'scandal' in Australia. I wish the author had written 2 separate books for these stories, as I don't feel they worked well together.
I would almost consider reading another book written by this author, but good golly, I hope she gets a new editor.

[Koki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tajomstvo. To je to, čo robí túto knihu pútavou už od jej prvej stránky. Tajomstvo, ktoré autorka odhaľuje čitateľovi tak ako sa patrí - postupne. Práve vďaka napätiu a túžbe odhaliť ho, je čitateľ poháňaný čítať a neprestať čítať... až do samého konca.

Písal sa rok 1905, keď sa Christy rozhodla vrátiť domov, na ostrov Sky. Tam zažila svoje detstvo a chcela si ho pripomenúť. Rovnako tak chcela ešte naposledy zazrieť dravé vodopády, temné štíty hôr a ucítiť na pokožke nepokojný vietor, či prchavú hmlu.

Po tom, ako zomrel jej milovaný manžel, sa rozhodla vo svojej 65 splniť si svoje posledné prianie. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokinakniznica.blogspot.com/20...

[Saskia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I read by Tamara McKinley and so far they are all really good. This book is about 3 generation of woman who go back the the isle of Skye to go back to the places which where so important for Christy. All 3 struggle with their own problems and the family left behind in Australia do struggle with some serious business too.

Great book! Ones you start it you want to finish it!

[Caroline Johansson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was drawn toward the Scottish story with Christy’s past and thought that the side plot in Australia was kind of a bore. But halfway in the plots were intertwined and made sense so it created a much more intriguing story. I’m a bit skeptic about the historical accuracy but it was still an entertaining and fun read, perfect for lazy summer days 👌🏼

[Eileen Stubbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant enjoyed every single page if especially the time on Skye I felt I was traveling with them, I’m so glad that mother & daughter was able to come together again, I wound definitely recommend this book

[Annette Hjelm]

analys och omdöme kommer!

[Brita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ingen vidare bok. Det är klara luckor i berättelsen men ändå ville jag se hur det slutade.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normalement à paraître le 20 mai chez les éditions L’archipel. Mon avis sera en ligne à la même date.

[Coline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un super roman comme tous ceux de Tamara McKinley, elle nous entraîne dans ses histoires avec des mystères qui nous tiennent tout le long du livre, on attend qu'une chose c'est de découvrir ce qu'il s'est passé ! Des personnages attachants et des histoires de familles qui finissent bien.

[An Brouckaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spannend en heel mooi!

[Alycia Bouëdron]

DNF - Page 121/365.

[Marieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik had gehoopt en verwacht (door de achterkant) dat het boek veel meer over Schotland zou gaan. Verder een prima boek om te lezen.

[Myriam Tremblay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bonne intrigue qui nous tient jusqu’à la toute fin!

[Caroline LEGER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une histoire qui nous replonge en Ecosse et qui nous donne envie de decouvrir l’Australie. Se lit avec plaisir.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Jessica Maree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1905, Spindrift is a historical fiction novel about three generations of women journeying from Tasmania to the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland. Sixty-five year old Christy wants to make the trek back to where she was born and where she lived out her childhood years. Unwilling to let her go by herself, Christy’s daughter Anne and granddaughter Kathryn accompany her.

http://jessjustreads.com

Tamara has established the setting of the novel and really created picturesque imagery for the reader to enjoy. She’s crafted Tasmania and Scotland beautifully and I really enjoyed both settings in the novel. Spindrift is well-paced, with plenty of historical references and enjoy mystery and intrigue to keep me reading.

There were a few things about the book that I disliked. Despite the bond these three develop, and despite the epic journey they undertake, I felt like the three characters weren’t as likeable as they could’ve been. Christy seemed unreliable, Anne was so overly flawed that she was unlikeable, and Kathryn seemed overly helpful and unrealistic for a young girl of her age.

“Kathryn felt sorry for her mother’s embarrassment, but she really only had herself to blame. Grandmother had warned them that they should dress appropriately for their journey, which would involve getting on and off boats and ramps, and although she’d heeded the advice, her had, as usual, ignored it.”

“Gregor’s eyes twinkled and Kathryn giggled, but Anne gave a disgusted snort and moved to the far side of the carriage to distance herself from her mother’s shocking behaviour.”

Tamara McKinley has a habit of hinting at a conversation or known fact, but drawing it out to try and keep the reader interested. Instead of including dialogue for a conversation, Tamara will paraphrase the exchange but keep out vital information. Although this is intended to keep the reader interested in whatever ‘secret’ information is left out, it actually feels like a cheap trick and it frustrates the reader.

Harold is presented with some documents that jeopardise some of Christy’s land, except, a lot of information is left out for most of the book and you find yourself confused. The lawsuit doesn’t actually know what the lawsuit is about until right at the end of the novel when Christy talks about it. So, for the entire novel you’re reading about how worried Harold is and how stressed Christy and Anne are, but you really have no idea what they’re talking out. It’s quite confusing for the reader and at times I felt my interest faltering.

“Read through that while I take a bath. Once I’m clean and fed, I’ll be in a better frame of mind to discuss it with you.”
Harold went up to the sweeping staircase and along the wide landing to the suite of rooms in the west wing.”

In the above example, there’s a section break while Hamish reads the documents and so then they have a conversation about these papers, but the reader has no idea what’s on them!

Despite these few flaws, there were some great aspects to the book. Tamara sets up suspense and intrigue well - there are parallel stories running throughout the book and therefore there are a lot of secrets being uncovered and a lot of suspicions being raised. The ending to the mysteries are not predictable and quite well thought out - they satisfyingly rap up the storyline and bring an end to the story.

I would really only recommend this book to readers who love historical fiction. It’s tough work at times, and without any romance to carry the story, it can feel like a chore at times.

Thank you to Hachette Publishers for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Annelies - In Another Era · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the death of her husband, Christy wants to travel alone from Australia to the Scottish Isle of Skye, where she was born. Her family doesn’t like the idea and so her granddaughter Kathryn and daughter Anne, with whom Christy is at odds, join her on this journey. Once they arrive at Skye, Christy is faced with her past. It’s time to reveal her story.

I once enjoyed Mckinley’s ‘Oceana trilogy’ immensely. Because I was in the mood for something light, I decided to try another of her books. I chose this one because it was set on Skye.

Among other things, Spindrift is about the highland clearances in the 19th century, emigration to Australia and the gold rush in their new homeland. I don’t read a lot about Australia, which makes McKinley my go-to-author for that.

But in terms of structure, this was very different from what I was used to from McKinley. The whole story revolves around a family secret that is talked around throughout the whole book, even though I guessed the truth early on. This was quite frustrating to read as the pace was slow. There are also fewer different perspectives than in the Oceana books. Christy tells her story and at the same time we follow her son-in-law Harold who is in search of the truth back in Australia.

Some characters are a bit caricatured and the pacing is odd, but the descriptions of Skye were very vivid and therefore I still enjoyed the book. Undoubtedly not McKinley’s best book though. I do recommend to start with her Oceana books, of which ‘Lands beyond the sea‘ is the first.

Dutch review:

Na de dood van haar man wil Christy vanuit Australië alleen op reis naar het Schotse eiland Skye, waar ze geboren is. Haar familie vindt dat geen goed idee en dus gaan haar kleindochter Kathryn en dochter Anne, met wie Christy in onmin leeft, mee. Eens aangekomen op Skye wordt Christy overspoeld door nare herinneringen, het is tijd om haar verhaal te vertellen.

Ik genoot ooit enorm hard van Mckinley's Oceania trilogie en nu ik zin had in iets lichts besloot ik nog een boek van haar te proberen. Ik koos deze omdat het zich afspeelde op Skye.

Het boek gaat oa over de ontruimingen in de 19de eeuw, de emigratie naar Australië en de goudkoorts in dat nieuwe thuisland.

Maar qua opbouw was dit heel anders dan ik van Mckinley gewoon was. Het hele verhaal draait op een familiegeheim waar heel het boek lang rondgesproken wordt, ook al gokte ik vroeg de waarheid. Dat was best frusterend om te lezen want het tempo was traag. Er zijn ook minder verschillende perspectieven dan in Oceania.

Christy vertelt haar verhaal en tegelijk volgen we haar schoonzoon Harold die in Australië op zoek gaat naar de waarheid.

Sommige personages zijn wat karikaturaal en het tempo is vreemd, maar de beschrijvingen van Skye waren heel levendig en daarom vond ik toch een fijn boek.

Ongetwijfeld wel niet McKinley's beste boek.

[Mari LovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je sais que quand je veux voyager je peux compter sur Tamara McKinley. J'ai adoré Une pluie d'étincelles, La Route de Savannah Wings et Quand on ne peut oublier... alors j'attendais avec impatience Lune de Tasmanie, d'autant plus que le thème d'histoire de famille m'a bien interpellé !

Christy vient de perdre son mari. Elle décide alors d'entreprendre un voyage jusqu'en Ecosse, sa ville natale, ce qui n'est pas vraiment du goût de sa fille, Anne qui trouve qu'à son âge, sa mère devrait rester calmement chez elle.
Mais la grand-mère, soutenue par sa petite-fille Kathryn, est bien décidée à se rendre là-bas pour affronter ses souvenirs.. et raconter son plus grand secret qui pourrait plonger sa famille dans scandale !

Sans surprise, ce livre m'a fait voyager entre la Tasmanie et l'Ecosse mais aussi entre le début du XXème siècle et le milieu/fin du XIXème siècle ! Et ça a été incroyablement intense. Découvrir la vie de Christy n'a pas été de tout repos, d'autant plus que pendant le voyage de la vieille femme, un secret bien enfoui refait surface en Tasmanie ! Donc pas moyen de s'ennuyant pendant notre lecture !
J'ai tout de même trouvé que la révélation du grand secret de Christy traînait un peu en longueur vers la fin. Mais une fois le secret révélé, je dois avouer que je ne me doutais absolument pas que ce serait un tel secret (même si je m'en approchais ;-P).

Bien sûr j'ai adoré Christy qui nous raconte son histoire en passant par sa vie en Ecosse à son arrivé en Australie. On s'attache tellement à ce petit bout de femme qui a vécu tant de choses.

Voir la relation de Christy et sa petite fille, Kathryn, était très émouvant. On sent leur lien et à quel point elles s'adorent.

Seule ombre au tableau : Anne, la fille de Christy m'a énervé du début à la fin ! Aucune empathie vis-à-vis de sa mère et un caractère exécrable avec toutes les personnages qui l'entourent (même des inconnus) ! Son excuse ? Elle a découvert quelque chose des années auparavant et elle en veut à sa mère depuis, lui remettant sur le dos tous ses maux.

En tout cas quel plaisir de retrouver la superbe plume de Tamara McKinley qui participe grandement à notre voyage au fil des pages cette fois et qui rend les personnages si attachants.
Elle ne propose là un roman historique. Je ne connais pas vraiment les périodes qu'elle nous conte mais je suis persuadée qu'elle s'est inspirée d'événements qui se sont réellement passés et les a fait vivre à des personnages complètement fictif. Personnellement j'adore ce type de roman historique car on apprend énormément de choses sans pour autant que ce soit trop "lourd" en informations.

Si vous cherchez un roman historique, pour moi Tamara McKinley est une valeur sûre et je vous conseille n'importe lequel de ses romans (je ne les ai pas encore tous lu mais je suis en train de les acheter un à un...) mais sur les 4 que j'ai lu, je n'ai jamais été déçue.