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The Exile of Sara Stevenson
In 1814, Sara Stevenson, the well-bred but high-spirited daughter of celebrated Scottish lighthouse designer Robert Stevenson, falls in love with a common sailor, Thomas Crichton. On the day of their clandestine elopement, Thomas mysteriously disappears, leaving Sara heartbroken, secretly pregnant, and at the mercy of her overbearing family. Refusing to relinquish her hopes that Thomas will someday return to her, Sara is banished to an eerie lighthouse on lonely and remote Cape Wrath. There she meets William Campbell, the reclusive yet dashing light-keeper who incites her ire—and interest. Soon Sara begins to accept her life on the cape and her growing attraction to William—until a mystifying package from an Oxford antiquarian arrives, giving intriguing clues to Thomas’s whereabouts. Through her correspondence with the antiquarian, Sara slowly uncovers the story of her beloved’s fate. But what she doesn’t immediately grasp is that these letters travel an even greater distance than she could have imagined—as the boundaries between time and space unravel to forge an incredible connection between a woman and a man many years apart.
386 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2010
13 people are currently reading
1179 people want to read
About the author
Darci Hannah
14 books784 followersCozy mystery author, Darci Hannah, is a native of the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. When Darci isn't baking for family and friends, hiking with her furry pals, Ripley and Finn, or concocting her next cozy mystery, she can be found wandering around picturesque lakeside villages with her hubby, sampling baked goods, and breaking for coffee more often than she should.
In addition to cozy mysteries, Darci's other passion is writing historical fiction. She is the author of The Exile of Sara Stevenson
(Ballantine Books, 2010, 2nd edition by Piffle & Bombast 2016) and The Angel of Blythe Hall (Ballantine Books, 2011)
In addition to cozy mysteries, Darci's other passion is writing historical fiction. She is the author of The Exile of Sara Stevenson
(Ballantine Books, 2010, 2nd edition by Piffle & Bombast 2016) and The Angel of Blythe Hall (Ballantine Books, 2011)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
October 20, 2021
In this historical novel, Sara Stevenson falls in love with a sailor, an unsuitable match for her wealthy family. Sara is banished to a remote lighthouse to avoid a scandal. The location in 1815 northwestern Scotland is isolated, cold, windy, and spartan. Many of the characters have disturbing memories of the past. Some supernatural elements add mystery to the story in a convoluted way. It was an entertaining book, but the ending was a bit contrived.
May 29, 2010
(3.5) Edinburgh, 1814. Sarah Stevenson is the pampered daughter of Robert Stevenson, builder of lighthouses. Whilst on a boat tour, Sara meets and falls in love with sailor Thomas Crichton. Since Sara's parents would never consider Thomas a suitable match for her, the two plan to elope - but Sara ends up waiting in vain as Thomas never shows. Did he truly love her or was he just using her? A pregnant and broken-hearted Sara is banished by her family to the remote lighthouse at Cape Wrath, along with her maid Kate - the one who betrayed her secret lover to her parents and because of that Sara and Kate's relationship is somewhat tense - let alone her up and down relationship with William Campbell the current keeper of the light.
Just when Sara believes she might let Thomas go and regain some balance in her life, a package arrives for Sarah that upsets her new-found peace. Who is Alexander Seawell and how did he come in possession of Sara's gift to her beloved Thomas? Will Alexander be able to solve the mystery of Thomas' disappearance? Which man is destined for Sara, William or Alexander? Or will she find her true-love Thomas once again?
Well, you know I'm not telling. While I did enjoy this, the author just took too long getting to the big tah-dah and things started to drag on a bit. Written in the first person narrative (not my favorite) resulted in a wee bit too much of Sara's constant snooping into other people's business and searching their rooms. Bah. I really didn't warm up much to Sara, instead of the vibrant, independent lass she should have been she came across a bit too whiny and, well, annoying. Big as a house pregnant and she's walking the moors at 3:00 AM? Standing at the edge of those big cliffs over the sea without wondering if she just might slip and fall?
I'll pass on standing on the edge, thank you very much. In the end, I found this to be a good book just not great. As noted, I didn't warm much to Sara, nor pick up on any real chemistry between her and Thomas either, nor any emotional investment in any of the characters. The northern Scotland setting was lovely, but I would like to see that developed more as well - see Mary Stewart's Wildfire at Midnight and how she set the mood on the Isle of Skye. This is a nice first outing for a new author, but to compare this to Dame Du Maurier? I think not. 3.5/5 stars.
Just when Sara believes she might let Thomas go and regain some balance in her life, a package arrives for Sarah that upsets her new-found peace. Who is Alexander Seawell and how did he come in possession of Sara's gift to her beloved Thomas? Will Alexander be able to solve the mystery of Thomas' disappearance? Which man is destined for Sara, William or Alexander? Or will she find her true-love Thomas once again?
Well, you know I'm not telling. While I did enjoy this, the author just took too long getting to the big tah-dah and things started to drag on a bit. Written in the first person narrative (not my favorite) resulted in a wee bit too much of Sara's constant snooping into other people's business and searching their rooms. Bah. I really didn't warm up much to Sara, instead of the vibrant, independent lass she should have been she came across a bit too whiny and, well, annoying. Big as a house pregnant and she's walking the moors at 3:00 AM? Standing at the edge of those big cliffs over the sea without wondering if she just might slip and fall?
I'll pass on standing on the edge, thank you very much. In the end, I found this to be a good book just not great. As noted, I didn't warm much to Sara, nor pick up on any real chemistry between her and Thomas either, nor any emotional investment in any of the characters. The northern Scotland setting was lovely, but I would like to see that developed more as well - see Mary Stewart's Wildfire at Midnight and how she set the mood on the Isle of Skye. This is a nice first outing for a new author, but to compare this to Dame Du Maurier? I think not. 3.5/5 stars.
May 13, 2010
I really wanted to like this book. Even when the editor's note compared it to novels like Wuthering Heights and The Time Traveler's Wife (both of which I loathed,) I persevered in my hope that this would be a good read indeed. And while I didn't find this novel as objectionable as the others, I did it find it sorely lacking in several areas.
The first was characterization and, possibly due to this, sheer likability. There is nothing to recommend the protagonist beyond the author's putting admiring words into the mouths of the supporting cast. She's flighty, willful and pretty doggone stupid, and she has all the intellectual depth of a puddle. The character of Kate is presented merely as a foil, and while there was promise in the reason behind her betrayal of Sara, it's just resolved neatly and as a moral victory for the latter. The men are stock characters drawn straight out of romance novels: all of them good-looking and tormented bla bla bla. I didn't like any of the characters (except maybe Mary Mackay,) and cared for their plights even less.
I don't know if the author was aiming for a spare writing style like I admire in writers like Howard Norman, but it didn't work. There were many times, too, where an outmoded synonym was used for no apparent reason other than to prove that the author could use a thesaurus. Also, the amount with which the narrator blasphemed was at strict odds with the way in which she noted the colorful language of others, so you can add a supreme lack of self-awareness to her list of less-than-endearing qualities. Don't even get me started on the selective Scottish accents.
And finally, the editing was spectacularly sloppy. The number of typos of words that clearly passed spell-check but would never escape the eye of a discerning editor made me actually angry.
Hope this doesn't ruin the book for you, Meredith! :P
I received this book gratis as part of Goodreads' First Reads program.
The first was characterization and, possibly due to this, sheer likability. There is nothing to recommend the protagonist beyond the author's putting admiring words into the mouths of the supporting cast. She's flighty, willful and pretty doggone stupid, and she has all the intellectual depth of a puddle. The character of Kate is presented merely as a foil, and while there was promise in the reason behind her betrayal of Sara, it's just resolved neatly and as a moral victory for the latter. The men are stock characters drawn straight out of romance novels: all of them good-looking and tormented bla bla bla. I didn't like any of the characters (except maybe Mary Mackay,) and cared for their plights even less.
I don't know if the author was aiming for a spare writing style like I admire in writers like Howard Norman, but it didn't work. There were many times, too, where an outmoded synonym was used for no apparent reason other than to prove that the author could use a thesaurus. Also, the amount with which the narrator blasphemed was at strict odds with the way in which she noted the colorful language of others, so you can add a supreme lack of self-awareness to her list of less-than-endearing qualities. Don't even get me started on the selective Scottish accents.
And finally, the editing was spectacularly sloppy. The number of typos of words that clearly passed spell-check but would never escape the eye of a discerning editor made me actually angry.
Hope this doesn't ruin the book for you, Meredith! :P
I received this book gratis as part of Goodreads' First Reads program.
December 4, 2010
Rating clarification: 2.5 stars
While I do appreciate the thought and intriguing concept that went into Darci Hannah's debut novel, I wasn't as thrilled with it as I quite honestly expected to be.
The plot: Sara, Stevenson, a young woman from 1814 Scotland, falls in love with an unsuitable man (sailor Thomas Crichton), plans to elope and finds that she has been abandoned and left pregnant by her erswhile lover. Her angry parents banish her to Cape Wrath, a remote lighthouse off the rugged Scottish coastline. She is left there in the sole care of her traitorous companion/friend Kate and Kate's husband, as well as the taciturn and moody lighhouse keeper, William Campbell. Sara initially rebells against her fate and mourns her soul mate, while at the same time she grows more fascinated by William and his troubled past and hidden secrets. As her delivery approaches, Sara begins to receive letters left by a mysterious sailing vessel. These letters, written by Oxford antiquarian Alexander Seawell, preport to know what really happened to Thomas those long months ago. But the insuing correspondence between Sara and Alexander raises more questions then answers, and challenges the concept of time.
OK, that sounds pretty intriguing doesn't it? And for the most part it was. However, I never really came to like Sara, or William, or Thomas for that matter, so the ending wasn't one of those kleenex-grabbing moments I expect the author wanted me to experience. The characters, though fairly well drawn, just weren't likable enough for me to relate to or care what happened to them. And the time travel aspect, I'm sorry to say, fell flat for me. I suspect the fault for these issues lie with my reading taste and expectations, but I also think a really good writer can "ramp up" the interest and empathy. Hannah might have what it takes to do this after a few more books, so I'm not counting out a future read from her. This one, however, could have been so much better IMO.
While I do appreciate the thought and intriguing concept that went into Darci Hannah's debut novel, I wasn't as thrilled with it as I quite honestly expected to be.
The plot: Sara, Stevenson, a young woman from 1814 Scotland, falls in love with an unsuitable man (sailor Thomas Crichton), plans to elope and finds that she has been abandoned and left pregnant by her erswhile lover. Her angry parents banish her to Cape Wrath, a remote lighthouse off the rugged Scottish coastline. She is left there in the sole care of her traitorous companion/friend Kate and Kate's husband, as well as the taciturn and moody lighhouse keeper, William Campbell. Sara initially rebells against her fate and mourns her soul mate, while at the same time she grows more fascinated by William and his troubled past and hidden secrets. As her delivery approaches, Sara begins to receive letters left by a mysterious sailing vessel. These letters, written by Oxford antiquarian Alexander Seawell, preport to know what really happened to Thomas those long months ago. But the insuing correspondence between Sara and Alexander raises more questions then answers, and challenges the concept of time.
OK, that sounds pretty intriguing doesn't it? And for the most part it was. However, I never really came to like Sara, or William, or Thomas for that matter, so the ending wasn't one of those kleenex-grabbing moments I expect the author wanted me to experience. The characters, though fairly well drawn, just weren't likable enough for me to relate to or care what happened to them. And the time travel aspect, I'm sorry to say, fell flat for me. I suspect the fault for these issues lie with my reading taste and expectations, but I also think a really good writer can "ramp up" the interest and empathy. Hannah might have what it takes to do this after a few more books, so I'm not counting out a future read from her. This one, however, could have been so much better IMO.
June 15, 2010
I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of The Exile of Sara Stevenson. It's not high literature nor is it a particularly informative work of historical fiction - I'd classify it as a historical romance. However, I enjoyed the picturesque setting of the coastal Scottish Highlands of the early 19th Century.
The novel is about a young woman, daughter of a famed lighthouse designer, who finds herself in an awkward predicament for a wealthy 19th century woman from a Calvinist family: she is pregnant and unmarried. The romantic Sara falls in love with a penniless sailor, notwithstanding her family's likely disapproval, but finds herself pregnant and abandoned by her lover after they make plans to elope. Sara finds herself banished to the lighthouse, along with her companion Kate (who betrayed her to her parents), Kate's husband, and William Campbell, the mysterious lighthouse keeper. The novel enters into a "fish out of water" story, as Sara struggles to adapt to her new life, far from Edinburgh and without the trappings of privilege. Simultaneously, she tries to figure out what happened to her beloved Thomas Chrichton, refusing to accept that he used her and abandoned her. The mystery is heightened after Sara receives a mysterious package and letter from an English stranger, leaving open the questions of whether Thomas was alive or dead and whether Thomas used and debauched Sara. Through her correspondence with this stranger, Sara tries to come to terms with her feelings about Thomas and her predicament. She also tries to come to terms with her companions, with whom she is often in conflict.
Unfortunately, the plot degenerated in the last quarter of the book. I had predicted Thomas Chrichton' whereabouts pretty early on as well as certain other plot developments relating to Sara's ultimate happiness. The predictability, for me, was not the most disappointing part of the last hundred pages, however. Instead, I really did not enjoy the supernatural element of the story. I don't want to elaborate on this to avoid spoiling the ending. Suffice it to say, though, that I felt that it came out of nowhere (in a contrived way, not in a good way) and didn't really add much to the plot. I also did not think it was particlarly well-executed.
Overall, The Exile of Sara Stevenson is a good read, though not a great one. I think readers of Historical Romance should enjoy this novel, notwithstanding the disappointing ending. 3.5 stars.
Reviewed for Amazon VINE.
The novel is about a young woman, daughter of a famed lighthouse designer, who finds herself in an awkward predicament for a wealthy 19th century woman from a Calvinist family: she is pregnant and unmarried. The romantic Sara falls in love with a penniless sailor, notwithstanding her family's likely disapproval, but finds herself pregnant and abandoned by her lover after they make plans to elope. Sara finds herself banished to the lighthouse, along with her companion Kate (who betrayed her to her parents), Kate's husband, and William Campbell, the mysterious lighthouse keeper. The novel enters into a "fish out of water" story, as Sara struggles to adapt to her new life, far from Edinburgh and without the trappings of privilege. Simultaneously, she tries to figure out what happened to her beloved Thomas Chrichton, refusing to accept that he used her and abandoned her. The mystery is heightened after Sara receives a mysterious package and letter from an English stranger, leaving open the questions of whether Thomas was alive or dead and whether Thomas used and debauched Sara. Through her correspondence with this stranger, Sara tries to come to terms with her feelings about Thomas and her predicament. She also tries to come to terms with her companions, with whom she is often in conflict.
Unfortunately, the plot degenerated in the last quarter of the book. I had predicted Thomas Chrichton' whereabouts pretty early on as well as certain other plot developments relating to Sara's ultimate happiness. The predictability, for me, was not the most disappointing part of the last hundred pages, however. Instead, I really did not enjoy the supernatural element of the story. I don't want to elaborate on this to avoid spoiling the ending. Suffice it to say, though, that I felt that it came out of nowhere (in a contrived way, not in a good way) and didn't really add much to the plot. I also did not think it was particlarly well-executed.
Overall, The Exile of Sara Stevenson is a good read, though not a great one. I think readers of Historical Romance should enjoy this novel, notwithstanding the disappointing ending. 3.5 stars.
Reviewed for Amazon VINE.
July 24, 2018
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it caught my eye at a library book sale. It turned out to be solidly written historical fiction. Set in and around a remote Scottish lighthouse in the waning days of the Napoleonic war, it has a moody and softly melancholy feel to it. It got off to a slow start, but once I was hooked, I couldn't put it down.
Sara Stevenson, daughter of a famed lighthouse designer, finds herself banished to one of her father's more isolated creations after having an illicit affair with a common sailor and getting pregnant out of wedlock. She travels up to the lighthouse together with her ladies' companion and the companion's husband, who will be serving as the second lightkeeper. The primary lightkeeper, a recluse named William Campbell, appears none too happy to meet his new companions, but they start to fall into a routine together.
What follows is an unusual but engaging story as we see Sara coping with the reality of her impending motherhood and trying to accept her new life. It's obvious that she believes her beloved Thomas will come to rescue her. He disappeared the night they were to run away together, and she is convinced that one day they will be reunited. The mysterious letters that start arriving for Sara one day only strengthen her conviction.
While not a romance, this book definitely has some romantic elements to it. Whether or not you enjoy Sara's flashbacks to her time with Thomas will depend on what I might call the Titanic test. If you found the love story in the movie Titanic romantic, you will lap this right up. If you often got impatient with the lovers in the movie, Sara's mooning over Thomas might induce the occasional eyeroll. Personally, I got sucked right into this story, with its hard-working, proper Scots, displaced Highlanders trying to find their way in the world, smuggling, with more than a few hints of time travel thrown in. This debut novel has a few rough spots, but overall it's a fascinating read.
Sara Stevenson, daughter of a famed lighthouse designer, finds herself banished to one of her father's more isolated creations after having an illicit affair with a common sailor and getting pregnant out of wedlock. She travels up to the lighthouse together with her ladies' companion and the companion's husband, who will be serving as the second lightkeeper. The primary lightkeeper, a recluse named William Campbell, appears none too happy to meet his new companions, but they start to fall into a routine together.
What follows is an unusual but engaging story as we see Sara coping with the reality of her impending motherhood and trying to accept her new life. It's obvious that she believes her beloved Thomas will come to rescue her. He disappeared the night they were to run away together, and she is convinced that one day they will be reunited. The mysterious letters that start arriving for Sara one day only strengthen her conviction.
While not a romance, this book definitely has some romantic elements to it. Whether or not you enjoy Sara's flashbacks to her time with Thomas will depend on what I might call the Titanic test. If you found the love story in the movie Titanic romantic, you will lap this right up. If you often got impatient with the lovers in the movie, Sara's mooning over Thomas might induce the occasional eyeroll. Personally, I got sucked right into this story, with its hard-working, proper Scots, displaced Highlanders trying to find their way in the world, smuggling, with more than a few hints of time travel thrown in. This debut novel has a few rough spots, but overall it's a fascinating read.
May 9, 2010
This is an advance copy of a novel to be published in July 2010. The story is set on Cape Wrath, an actual lighthouse, built by author, Robert Louis Stevenson's grandfather, in Scotland. The novel takes place in 1814-1815, whereas the actual lighthouse was not built until 1823. The story encompasses two wars: the Napoleanic Wars of 1793 to 1815, and World War I from 1914-1918 via a ghost/angel that transcends the years. While reading the story, I thought of Robert Nathan's, The Portrait of Jennie. Both novels deal with leaps or distortion of time, also like The Time Traveler's Wife. Darci Hannah does an excellent job with her description of characters and setting. Of course, the outcome with Sara Stevenson and William Campbell finished as expected. The story of Alexander Seawell and the appearance of Thomas Crichton were"the stuff of dreams". I enjoyed the little bits of quotes from dead, popular writers, and also the glimpse of Walter Scott as a companion to Sara on a voyage. Darci Hannah has the gift of weaving an interesting story.
Read
January 24, 2016 discovered this new novel somewhere along my travels and quickly marked it down on my 'to read' list. So, I was excited when I saw it being offered on the Vine program, I quickly snatched it up and eagerly anticipated reading it.
Unfortunately, I found very little that engaged me in this story. The characters aren't particularly likable or interesting, they all seem rather stereotypical. The story moves rather slowly and there just wasn't anything that interested me enough to keep me reading. I gave this up after reading over a hundred and fifty pages of it.
This story leans toward the "romancy" side but with very little insight or depth to the relationship between the two lovers. I wanted to like the characters and care about what happened to them but I just didn't and after a while I decided that there are other books waiting to be read that likely have characters and stories that are more interesting to me. This one just wasn't my cup of tea.
Unfortunately, I found very little that engaged me in this story. The characters aren't particularly likable or interesting, they all seem rather stereotypical. The story moves rather slowly and there just wasn't anything that interested me enough to keep me reading. I gave this up after reading over a hundred and fifty pages of it.
This story leans toward the "romancy" side but with very little insight or depth to the relationship between the two lovers. I wanted to like the characters and care about what happened to them but I just didn't and after a while I decided that there are other books waiting to be read that likely have characters and stories that are more interesting to me. This one just wasn't my cup of tea.
September 16, 2025
I enjoyed the suspenseful story until the ghosts began appearing 🤨
May 9, 2010
MAY BE SOME SPOILERS......
Love, mystery, secrets, betrayal, ghosts, letters, smugglers, Scottish history and life in the 1800's.....Sara Stevenson was a privileged Scottish lass who wasn't one to conform to the norms of Scottish rules for young ladies.
Her father was a famous lighthouse engineer and had Sara accompany him on a boat trip when she was 18 years old. While on the voyage, she fell in love with one of the sailors who of course was not of her social rank. Her father suspects this love affair and is completely against their relationship since he has another wealthy man in mind for Sara.
Sara gets herself pregnant by this sailor, and her father banishes her to Cape Wrath which is a remote place on the northwesterly point of Great Britain north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Cape Wrath had terrible weather no matter what season it was and is a place that had no luxuries Sara was used to. Sara, along with her maid, Katie, and the maid's husband, Robbie, endure the life at Cape Wrath. Sara has to cook and clean which is something she never had to do. Sara yearns daily for Thomas, her lost lover. She hasn't seen him since they planned a never-to-be elopement.
Sara, Katie, Robbie, and Mr. Campbell, the lighthouse keeper, are four of only a few inhabitants living there. A few cottages are also on Cape Wrath. Sara and her maid venture out one day during an awful snowstorm to find their neighbors because Sara is feeling so lonely and isolated. They take off on horseback and do meet a woman that they befriend and who will trade cooking lessons for learning how to read and write.
The woman they visited (Mrs. MacKay), her husband, and their two children appear at the lighthouse one day and Sara finds out some things about Mr. Campbell during a heated argument with Mr. MacKay. Apparently Mr. Campbell and Mr. McKay had some sort of mariner disagreement last fall and Mr. Campbell "lured" him and his family to the lighthouse to try to make amends.
Meanwhile Sara and Mr. Campbell develop some sort of trust relationship, and Mr. Campbell knows he has the responsibility to keep Sara safe and take care of her during her pregnancy. One morning a package and a letter arrive at the dock from a man named Mr. Seawell, and this brings more mystery about Thomas and why he never showed up the day they were going to run away. Afterall, Thomas said he loved her and would move heaven and earth to be with her. Sara writes back to Mr. Seawell questioning about Thomas and the watch that was in the package....the very watch that Sara had given Thomas and had inscripted a lover's message on the back. Sara asks Mr. Seawell to shed some light about Thomas and if he is alive. They began a correspondence that tells of Mr. Seawell's life and Thomas's life.
After all the tension about the package and letter and also a letter to Katie from Sara's mother, Sara takes off from the lighthouse and goes to Mary MacKay and her family because she is disgusted about what she finds out her family had written to Katie and something about Mr. Campbell. Sara stays for a week, and Mr. Campbell is fuming about this visit since he is to be taking care of Sara according to Sara's father who had made these arrangements before Sara's original arrival.
Another letter was in post at the jetty when Sara returns from the visit, and she begins to become suspicious about who is really sending her these letters. The letters, Sara, Thomas, and Mr. Seawell make the ending confusing, unbelievable, but unforgettable....terrific writer.
You will enjoy the book, and I want to end my review with this quote that is from Page 56, but rings true until the end of the book: "But all too soon it came back to me, and once again I found it hard to sleep at night knowing he was out there....somewhere."
Love, mystery, secrets, betrayal, ghosts, letters, smugglers, Scottish history and life in the 1800's.....Sara Stevenson was a privileged Scottish lass who wasn't one to conform to the norms of Scottish rules for young ladies.
Her father was a famous lighthouse engineer and had Sara accompany him on a boat trip when she was 18 years old. While on the voyage, she fell in love with one of the sailors who of course was not of her social rank. Her father suspects this love affair and is completely against their relationship since he has another wealthy man in mind for Sara.
Sara gets herself pregnant by this sailor, and her father banishes her to Cape Wrath which is a remote place on the northwesterly point of Great Britain north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Cape Wrath had terrible weather no matter what season it was and is a place that had no luxuries Sara was used to. Sara, along with her maid, Katie, and the maid's husband, Robbie, endure the life at Cape Wrath. Sara has to cook and clean which is something she never had to do. Sara yearns daily for Thomas, her lost lover. She hasn't seen him since they planned a never-to-be elopement.
Sara, Katie, Robbie, and Mr. Campbell, the lighthouse keeper, are four of only a few inhabitants living there. A few cottages are also on Cape Wrath. Sara and her maid venture out one day during an awful snowstorm to find their neighbors because Sara is feeling so lonely and isolated. They take off on horseback and do meet a woman that they befriend and who will trade cooking lessons for learning how to read and write.
The woman they visited (Mrs. MacKay), her husband, and their two children appear at the lighthouse one day and Sara finds out some things about Mr. Campbell during a heated argument with Mr. MacKay. Apparently Mr. Campbell and Mr. McKay had some sort of mariner disagreement last fall and Mr. Campbell "lured" him and his family to the lighthouse to try to make amends.
Meanwhile Sara and Mr. Campbell develop some sort of trust relationship, and Mr. Campbell knows he has the responsibility to keep Sara safe and take care of her during her pregnancy. One morning a package and a letter arrive at the dock from a man named Mr. Seawell, and this brings more mystery about Thomas and why he never showed up the day they were going to run away. Afterall, Thomas said he loved her and would move heaven and earth to be with her. Sara writes back to Mr. Seawell questioning about Thomas and the watch that was in the package....the very watch that Sara had given Thomas and had inscripted a lover's message on the back. Sara asks Mr. Seawell to shed some light about Thomas and if he is alive. They began a correspondence that tells of Mr. Seawell's life and Thomas's life.
After all the tension about the package and letter and also a letter to Katie from Sara's mother, Sara takes off from the lighthouse and goes to Mary MacKay and her family because she is disgusted about what she finds out her family had written to Katie and something about Mr. Campbell. Sara stays for a week, and Mr. Campbell is fuming about this visit since he is to be taking care of Sara according to Sara's father who had made these arrangements before Sara's original arrival.
Another letter was in post at the jetty when Sara returns from the visit, and she begins to become suspicious about who is really sending her these letters. The letters, Sara, Thomas, and Mr. Seawell make the ending confusing, unbelievable, but unforgettable....terrific writer.
You will enjoy the book, and I want to end my review with this quote that is from Page 56, but rings true until the end of the book: "But all too soon it came back to me, and once again I found it hard to sleep at night knowing he was out there....somewhere."
July 28, 2010
Set in 1814, The Exile of Sara Stevenson is a richly woven historical fiction novel told from the viewpoint of the titles namesake, Sara Stevenson.
Banished to the Cape Wrath lighthouse on the blustery northern point of Scotland, Sara is punished for falling in love with a sailor, and ending up pregnant with his child. Miserable, forced to make company with the other unhappy residents of the lighthouse, Sara believes her lover, Thomas Chrichton, will rescue her. The days drift by until a mysterious letter with a special gift she had given to Thomas arrives. Further correspondence with the author of the letter results in Sara’s confusion to his identity, and to the health of her child’s father. Searching for answers, Sara continues to write to her new friend, but wonders if perhaps his identity is that of William Campbell, the tormented keeper of the light on Cape Wrath. As friends become enemies and vice versa, Sara must hold out hope for the sake of her child amid the intrepid storms and dangerous coast of Northern Scotland.
The first half of this novel was lovely; a true historical the likes of which I haven’t read in quite sometime. This is mostly due to Hannah’s writing which was remarkably authentic. A current historical fiction novel is usually written with a contemporary voice, but Hannah’s is more true to the time period, making Sara’s story that much more sympathetic.
The beautiful writing continues through the second half of the book, but there’s a sudden shift in Hannah’s narrative tools. I refer to a mysterious boat which appears and disappears into the fog every time it delivers a letter to Sara. This is the mystical aspect of the synopsis which is used for promotional panache, however it doesn’t make itself known until two-thirds of the way through the novel, marking an unsettling breach in the realistic narrative. Had Hannah introduced a bit of the mysterious earlier in the novel, I would have believed in the boat’s ethereal qualities. As it was, I knew where Hannah was going with the boat, but it left me a bit cynical.
The end of the book delves further into the unworldly theme, but it doesn’t have much time to do so, which reinforces my opinion that had there been even a hint of magic in the beginning of the novel, it would have brought the plot full circle. Unfortunately I felt as though the end was meant for a different novel with the same set of characters.
Regardless, I still enjoyed The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and I think most readers who are interested in this type of story will. Darci Hannah is definitely a skillful writer and I’ll be interested to see what she releases in the future.
Banished to the Cape Wrath lighthouse on the blustery northern point of Scotland, Sara is punished for falling in love with a sailor, and ending up pregnant with his child. Miserable, forced to make company with the other unhappy residents of the lighthouse, Sara believes her lover, Thomas Chrichton, will rescue her. The days drift by until a mysterious letter with a special gift she had given to Thomas arrives. Further correspondence with the author of the letter results in Sara’s confusion to his identity, and to the health of her child’s father. Searching for answers, Sara continues to write to her new friend, but wonders if perhaps his identity is that of William Campbell, the tormented keeper of the light on Cape Wrath. As friends become enemies and vice versa, Sara must hold out hope for the sake of her child amid the intrepid storms and dangerous coast of Northern Scotland.
The first half of this novel was lovely; a true historical the likes of which I haven’t read in quite sometime. This is mostly due to Hannah’s writing which was remarkably authentic. A current historical fiction novel is usually written with a contemporary voice, but Hannah’s is more true to the time period, making Sara’s story that much more sympathetic.
The beautiful writing continues through the second half of the book, but there’s a sudden shift in Hannah’s narrative tools. I refer to a mysterious boat which appears and disappears into the fog every time it delivers a letter to Sara. This is the mystical aspect of the synopsis which is used for promotional panache, however it doesn’t make itself known until two-thirds of the way through the novel, marking an unsettling breach in the realistic narrative. Had Hannah introduced a bit of the mysterious earlier in the novel, I would have believed in the boat’s ethereal qualities. As it was, I knew where Hannah was going with the boat, but it left me a bit cynical.
The end of the book delves further into the unworldly theme, but it doesn’t have much time to do so, which reinforces my opinion that had there been even a hint of magic in the beginning of the novel, it would have brought the plot full circle. Unfortunately I felt as though the end was meant for a different novel with the same set of characters.
Regardless, I still enjoyed The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and I think most readers who are interested in this type of story will. Darci Hannah is definitely a skillful writer and I’ll be interested to see what she releases in the future.
July 16, 2010
I am oddly conflicted on what to say about The Exile of Sara Stevenson. On the one hand, I found the story interesting, if predictable, and read it very quickly. On the other, it was by no means an intellectual endeavor, and the story was rife with clichés and some particularly obnoxious plot devices.
Sara Stevenson was, to me, too perfectly cliché. She was exactly what you want in a protagonist, and then a little more so. Smart, witty, beautiful, charming, charismatic, literally everyone loved her, which made her a little too much of the ideal woman to be believable. She was also a little too self-aware for a first-person narrative told in the present.
I more or less got over that, though it remained a small itch throughout the book. What set me off most was the ending. Hannah, in order to prove just how loveable her main character was, introduced not one but two gigantic and wholly unnecessary deus ex machinas into the plot. It was trite and contrived and undermined any enjoyment I derived from the rest of the story.
Not only that, but just after the climax of the book, Hannah stopped showing me the story and started telling me the story. All of the loose ends were tied up in a nice, orderly way, but she didn’t let me discover it through the narrative, but instead rattled off a happily ever after list. Then, to add insult to injustice, there was another chapter that did it all again. To fully close all the story lines, the second ending was necessary, but the opportunities it accorded Hannah made the first ending excessive and the second annoyingly repetitive (as well as trite).
All that being said, it was a decent read, a nice love story and a fun coming of age/coming of place novel, though for a novel set in Scotland, there wasn’t much to convince me it was happening in Scotland rather than anywhere else.
October 7, 2012
Girl from a well-to-do Edinburgh family falls in love with a sailor boy that her family doesn't like. And when she finds herself up the proverbial creek, and that he's vanished on the very night that they were to run off to Gretna Green, what's a family to do, but ship her off to the country to hide the shame. Only in this case, it's 1814 and the family's trade is building lighthouses, so she's banished to the furthest outpost, a lonely lighthouse on Cape Wrath. There, not only must she contend with her deceitful companion who betrayed her to her parents, and the surly lighthouse keeper, but she's confronted with mysterious letters from a man who may, or may not, know what happened to her sweetheart.
The story mixes some interesting elements, including a ghost or two and maybe a time walker. The setting of the wilds of the highlands, and the rugged, dangerous coast of northern Scotland. Though there's a lot of drama that often accompanies tales of loves betrayed and lost, but I kept reading, mostly to find out what the blazes was going on with the letters. Was it ghosts, time travel, a visit from the T.A.R.D.I.S, or what???
Well, I've finished the book. I can't say that I entirely grasped what the author was trying to do, but that may be because I wasn't reading as carefully toward the end. But, there were moments that I really liked the book. And I loved that a friend of mine (author Bernard Cornwell), who spends part of his year here in Charleston, and his beautiful wife were mentioned in the acknowledgements. So much fun to find folks I know in unexpected places. It was really on that subtle recommendation, as well as the obvious care to details (and the large chunk of the book I'd read before losing steam) that kept me going to the end.
(I was sent this copy in a box of books from a BookCrossing friend.)
The story mixes some interesting elements, including a ghost or two and maybe a time walker. The setting of the wilds of the highlands, and the rugged, dangerous coast of northern Scotland. Though there's a lot of drama that often accompanies tales of loves betrayed and lost, but I kept reading, mostly to find out what the blazes was going on with the letters. Was it ghosts, time travel, a visit from the T.A.R.D.I.S, or what???
Well, I've finished the book. I can't say that I entirely grasped what the author was trying to do, but that may be because I wasn't reading as carefully toward the end. But, there were moments that I really liked the book. And I loved that a friend of mine (author Bernard Cornwell), who spends part of his year here in Charleston, and his beautiful wife were mentioned in the acknowledgements. So much fun to find folks I know in unexpected places. It was really on that subtle recommendation, as well as the obvious care to details (and the large chunk of the book I'd read before losing steam) that kept me going to the end.
(I was sent this copy in a box of books from a BookCrossing friend.)
August 18, 2010
This was a really great book- I loved the main charecter Sara and how she stood up to her family and friends in a time when women weren't supposed to have a mind of their own. I thought the supernatural aspects of the book were well played too. Without giving too much away, the first line of the book is "Someone once told me that every tower had a ghost, and every ghost had a story", so going in I was prepared for some ghosts. However, Hannah used the idea of ghosts reaching out to those still alive in a supporting way, leaving the very realistic plight of Sara Stevenson to stand on it's own.
There were a few small things that gave me pause and kind of distracted from the main story. One thing being that some of the plot points were easy to figure out long before they are "revealed" in the book. Especially where the lighthouse keeper William Campbell is involved. Again, I won't give anything away, but I figured out early on that he wasn't exactly the horrid person Sara feared he was. The other thing about William was that I couldn't figure out how old he was supposed to be. Sara is 19 during the bulk of the story and William is a good deal older (I think) and while his exact age doesn't much matter, it was something that I found myself thinking about through most of the book.
The supporting cast in this book are great. Kate is perfectly written as a bitter woman who thinks more about duty then friendship. Mary, a neighbor at Cape Wrath provides a nice mother figure for Sara and her son Hughie is a wonderful little rascal.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am willing to overlook some of the things that weren't perfect in favor for the many things that Hannah got right.
*I recieved this book through GoodReads First Reads*
There were a few small things that gave me pause and kind of distracted from the main story. One thing being that some of the plot points were easy to figure out long before they are "revealed" in the book. Especially where the lighthouse keeper William Campbell is involved. Again, I won't give anything away, but I figured out early on that he wasn't exactly the horrid person Sara feared he was. The other thing about William was that I couldn't figure out how old he was supposed to be. Sara is 19 during the bulk of the story and William is a good deal older (I think) and while his exact age doesn't much matter, it was something that I found myself thinking about through most of the book.
The supporting cast in this book are great. Kate is perfectly written as a bitter woman who thinks more about duty then friendship. Mary, a neighbor at Cape Wrath provides a nice mother figure for Sara and her son Hughie is a wonderful little rascal.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am willing to overlook some of the things that weren't perfect in favor for the many things that Hannah got right.
*I recieved this book through GoodReads First Reads*
June 24, 2017
This was such a great book! With the stroke of her pen, Darci Hannah brings to life memorable characters in a mysterious story that will keep you reading long past bed time. The story takes place around 1814, shortly after the Napoleonic Wars. Young, wealthy, and spirited Sara Stevenson is forced to move from her home in Edinburgh to a remote lighthouse on Cape Wrath after her family discovers she had fallen in love with Thomas Crichton, a common sailor, and was pregnant. The night before they were to elope, Thomas mysteriously disappeared, ending with Sara’s exile to her father’s lighthouse. Her relationship with the keeper of the lighthouse, Mr. Campbell, has a rocky start, though they end up forming a trusting relationship as the book progresses.
Throughout the story, Sara Stevenson longs for her missing lover and wonders what could have become of him. One day, Sara receives a letter and package from one Mr. Seawall concerning Thomas, leading to more questions than answers. This was an enjoyable book to read, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves mystery, romance, and surprisingly, a bit of time travel. This was an advanced readers copy and will be released 7/27/2010.
Throughout the story, Sara Stevenson longs for her missing lover and wonders what could have become of him. One day, Sara receives a letter and package from one Mr. Seawall concerning Thomas, leading to more questions than answers. This was an enjoyable book to read, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves mystery, romance, and surprisingly, a bit of time travel. This was an advanced readers copy and will be released 7/27/2010.
May 15, 2010
This was a book I won through a Goodreads Giveaway. It was a good historical novel with a bit of a twist. I loved the author's writing style which made the characters and the setting very vivid and compelling.
Sara Stevenson is sent to the coast of Scotland, a place called Cape Wrath, after she falls in love with a sailor and becomes pregnant by him. Her family is appalled and sends her to have the baby in secret. While at Cape Wrath, Sara falls for the mysterious lighthouse keeper, William Campbell even while trying to make sense of her feelings for her sailor. As she gets more involved with the people of Cape Wrath she begins a mysterious correspondence with an antiquarian from Oxford who has the watch she gave to her sailor but claims it was in the posession of a Jamie Crichton, not Thomas who she gave it to. When Sara encounters the spirit of Thomas all comes clear right before the birth of the baby.
A very enjoyable book although I would have liked to have had a bit more explanation of the ghostly forces at work in the main part of this book.
Sara Stevenson is sent to the coast of Scotland, a place called Cape Wrath, after she falls in love with a sailor and becomes pregnant by him. Her family is appalled and sends her to have the baby in secret. While at Cape Wrath, Sara falls for the mysterious lighthouse keeper, William Campbell even while trying to make sense of her feelings for her sailor. As she gets more involved with the people of Cape Wrath she begins a mysterious correspondence with an antiquarian from Oxford who has the watch she gave to her sailor but claims it was in the posession of a Jamie Crichton, not Thomas who she gave it to. When Sara encounters the spirit of Thomas all comes clear right before the birth of the baby.
A very enjoyable book although I would have liked to have had a bit more explanation of the ghostly forces at work in the main part of this book.
May 6, 2010
Young, wealthy,Sara Stevenson has been banished to a remote lighthouse on the northern tip of Scotland after her parents discover her failed attempt to elope with a 'common' sailor. On the evening of their elopement, Thomas Crichton mysteriously disappears leaving Sara pregnant and alone. Sara pines for him to rescue her, but she does not know if he is alive or dead.
Darci Hannah's writing is fabulous. I loved her characters, descriptions, and dialogue. Each was very believable and engaging. The plot was more troubling because it was too time travel-y /paranormal for me. It was very much the film 'Ghost' meets the novel 'The Time Traveller's Wife' in an historical UK setting. I'm trying to analyze my lukewarm response to the book given my interest and enjoyment of Gabaldon's books (the 'Outlander' series). It may be that I simply appreciate the idea of the modern person traveling back in time and am not so interested in someone traveling to the future.
The novel is worth a read and I will definitely check out anything else Ms. Hannah writes.
Darci Hannah's writing is fabulous. I loved her characters, descriptions, and dialogue. Each was very believable and engaging. The plot was more troubling because it was too time travel-y /paranormal for me. It was very much the film 'Ghost' meets the novel 'The Time Traveller's Wife' in an historical UK setting. I'm trying to analyze my lukewarm response to the book given my interest and enjoyment of Gabaldon's books (the 'Outlander' series). It may be that I simply appreciate the idea of the modern person traveling back in time and am not so interested in someone traveling to the future.
The novel is worth a read and I will definitely check out anything else Ms. Hannah writes.
May 17, 2010
I won an advance reading copy from Goodreads in a giveaway (thank you!).
I enjoyed the book and the characters. The writing is vaguely reminiscent of books written a hundred or so years ago, sort of Louisa May Alcott-ish. I don't really know how to explain it further.
There is a twist to the story such that I find that I cannot say too much about the story without giving away spoilers so be warned.
I had no idea what this book was about other than the blurb provided here. I was expecting it to be a straight historical novel, and I think I might have liked it better if it had been. There are time travel and supernatural elements to the story that I am not sure were really necessary. I think I would have made this a 4 star review if it had been. It's not that I don't like time travel or other supernatural stories. I just don't know that anything was necessarily added by that element.
I enjoyed the book and the characters. The writing is vaguely reminiscent of books written a hundred or so years ago, sort of Louisa May Alcott-ish. I don't really know how to explain it further.
There is a twist to the story such that I find that I cannot say too much about the story without giving away spoilers so be warned.
I had no idea what this book was about other than the blurb provided here. I was expecting it to be a straight historical novel, and I think I might have liked it better if it had been. There are time travel and supernatural elements to the story that I am not sure were really necessary. I think I would have made this a 4 star review if it had been. It's not that I don't like time travel or other supernatural stories. I just don't know that anything was necessarily added by that element.
March 16, 2012
The cover is misleading as the woman is not wearing the style worn in 1814 which is the year the novel starts.
A poignant story and deftly plotted, it begins commonly enough with the exile of a pregnant unwed woman to a lonely lighthouse on the northern coast of Scotland. The lighthouse keeper, William Campbell is a dark and brooding man much like the Rochester Of Jane Eyre. Yet Sara Stevenson discovers another side to his secretive personality.
The arrival of a mysterious package containing a gift Sara had given her lover sets in motion a series of events that can only be called divine intervention. Beset by betrayal and an unshakable belief that her lover never abandoned her, Sara finds new love, new belief and with the birth of her child, forgiveness.
The last chapter is a surprising and inspiring finale to this Gothic yet spiritual novel.
Highly recommended!
A poignant story and deftly plotted, it begins commonly enough with the exile of a pregnant unwed woman to a lonely lighthouse on the northern coast of Scotland. The lighthouse keeper, William Campbell is a dark and brooding man much like the Rochester Of Jane Eyre. Yet Sara Stevenson discovers another side to his secretive personality.
The arrival of a mysterious package containing a gift Sara had given her lover sets in motion a series of events that can only be called divine intervention. Beset by betrayal and an unshakable belief that her lover never abandoned her, Sara finds new love, new belief and with the birth of her child, forgiveness.
The last chapter is a surprising and inspiring finale to this Gothic yet spiritual novel.
Highly recommended!
August 27, 2010
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher from the July Goodreads newsletter. I enjoy reading historical fiction, and this book falls into that category; however, it's a bit unusual as it's also a love story, a ghost story, and a bit of a mystery. Set in Scotland in the early 1800's, it's the story of Sara Stevenson, who meets a sailor employed on her father's boat. Against her family's wishes, Sara falls in love and establishes a relationship with him .... and faces the consequences. The remainder of the story takes place on remote Cape Wrath, where Sara meets the mysterious man in charge of the lighthouse designed by her father. The story held my interest as I found myself trying to figure out what was going to happen next. The ending wasn't what I expected, however, it was an enjoyable story.
June 1, 2010
This is a very good first novel, and I am honored to have received an advance copy. Darci Hannah has written a very readable story, set on a desolate portion of the Scottish coastline, and a plot that keeps one guessing until the very end. Her dialogue for the most part is natural and believable. I should have loved this novel since I loved the books it is compared to such as the Time Traveler's Wife and Gabaldon's Outlander series, but I didn't really like the main character. She had no strength of character, and was very selfish. The supernatural elements are very vague and never explained, and seem to be thrown in at the end for no clear reason.
There are glaring editorial errors, which irritate me very much.
There are glaring editorial errors, which irritate me very much.
dnf
June 12, 2014I'm declaring this a DNF. I tried tho, I really did. I have picked this up on and off for two entire days. I hate the characters.. Sara is a not the strong, independent woman I was hoping for, but a spoiled brat that cares for no one but herself (and her beloved Thomas with the appearance of a beloved golden haired Apollo. Good grief.) Kate is a you know what and the lighthouse keeper is just plain weird. Also, this love at first sight crap, heavy breathing, and heaving bossums doesn't work for me. And what's up with all the flashing, piercing, and haunting eyes? Too romancy for me. I bail.
January 26, 2014
I love this book, it something for everyone,love, lost love, mystery. It's a haunting tale of a feisty Sara Stevenson who is exile to a lighthouse on Cape Wrath, one would think life would be boring but not for Sara.
June 8, 2010
Yippie! I won this on good reads! :)
I COMPLETELY enjoyed this book, I was so pleasantly surprised!!! Very well written with just enough romance and mystery and excitement!
I COMPLETELY enjoyed this book, I was so pleasantly surprised!!! Very well written with just enough romance and mystery and excitement!
June 18, 2017
Mm yeah. No.
The Georgian characters were extremely unlikable. I think I liked Mary McKay the best only because she was a secondary character with a tiny role to play. The characters were also very Jekyll and Hyde. Didn't enjoy that.
The time travel part of the story was ok. Not done particularly well (a skiff from Heaven, really?) but I could buy it until the end.
The over sexualisation of the characters: off putting. It really didn't need it. Anyone with half a brain can see that Sara will end up with 'that guy' (to avoid spoilers) so it was unnecessary and made me feel uncomfortable and dirty. Ick. (Reminder, I've read Diana Gabaldon's books and love them).
I did feel like the author was trying to squeeze everything in there as well. Let's have some Highland Clearances, some smuggling, some war, oh another war,some poor crofters, Rabbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott...the only thing she forgot was Bonnie Prince Charlie. Oh wait, no I believe that Charlie and Flora were mentioned at the beginning. Just too much of an info dump/squeezing everything she possibly could in.
Overall: Unsatisfying.
The Georgian characters were extremely unlikable. I think I liked Mary McKay the best only because she was a secondary character with a tiny role to play. The characters were also very Jekyll and Hyde. Didn't enjoy that.
The time travel part of the story was ok. Not done particularly well (a skiff from Heaven, really?) but I could buy it until the end.
The over sexualisation of the characters: off putting. It really didn't need it. Anyone with half a brain can see that Sara will end up with 'that guy' (to avoid spoilers) so it was unnecessary and made me feel uncomfortable and dirty. Ick. (Reminder, I've read Diana Gabaldon's books and love them).
I did feel like the author was trying to squeeze everything in there as well. Let's have some Highland Clearances, some smuggling, some war, oh another war,some poor crofters, Rabbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott...the only thing she forgot was Bonnie Prince Charlie. Oh wait, no I believe that Charlie and Flora were mentioned at the beginning. Just too much of an info dump/squeezing everything she possibly could in.
Overall: Unsatisfying.
March 10, 2017
This book started off strong and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Enticing story line, prideful girl, love lost, new love grew, mystery, etc. I was so disappointed in the ending. Ending had very little story and even less info. I wanted to know more about Sara and her life with her new love, but it made it seem so irrelevant. William became a center of the story with no ending. Very disappointing.
September 7, 2018
Ok. I will say that I loved the writing style, and the humor was refreshing. I could even overlook a little bit of Sara's self-centered immature ineptitude. But some of the stuff in here - example the way Campbell behaved in her bedroom, just... I don't know. So unbelievable. And the ghost part when it finally showed up felt so forced and rushed. I would definitely try this author again, but I don't know that I'll have the patience to finish if the next one is as unbelievable as this was.
July 2, 2025
Love story - Sara is banished to her successful architect father's lighthouse, Cape Wrath in northern Scotland because she is pregnant with a common sailor’s child. She is betrayed by most of her family and their servants but writes letters to kind friends she knows. Although the father of her child has died and she marries another, their life is overshadowed by Sara’s past. Time and space unravels this storey set between 1815 and 1915.
Difficult to read at first and confusing…
Difficult to read at first and confusing…
October 22, 2017
I really loved this book and it was definitely different from some of the things I usually read. I love historical fiction and I just loved everything about this book. I really want to find some more books like this...
March 5, 2026
A heart wrenching story of how love transcends time and works its healing power on tormented characters. The scenery is so vivid one is transported to the fierce coast of northern Scotland. Hannah’s depiction of the conflict between social expectations and personal choice is poignant.
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