Fields of Gold

by Fiona McIntosh

At the end of the Great War, two young men find themselves far from home, with everything to gain or everything to lose…

Charismatic womaniser Jack Bryant has the world at his feet, but when trouble catches up with him he's forced to flee Britain for good.

Handsome, honest Ned Sinclair is on a family adventure in Rangoon when he is dealt a bitter blow. With all the odds against him, he risks his life in a desperate bid to escape.

Both men hope to start their lives anew, seeking their fortune in India's fields of gold. Their paths collide in the colourful city of Bangalore, where they form a friendship like no other. In the years that follow, they remain inextricably bound by a dark secret, while their love for the same woman threatens to tear them apart.

From the windswept clifftops of the Cornish coast to the goldmines of southern India, this is a page-turning story of high adventure, devastating tragedy and enduring love.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, India, Audiobook, Historical Romance, Romance, Historical

576 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2010

About the author

Fiona writes best selling historical adventure-romance alongside the heroic-romantic, often brutal, fantasy she built her career upon. She lives in Australia but frequently roams the world meticulously researching the locations and gathering material for her historical novels that have international settings. Her books are published worldwide and in various languages.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.


Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Fiona McIntosh's first foray into historical fiction was a great read; two strong, male protagonists, exotic locations, secrets, deception, love triangle. She really covered all bases. And then the icing on the cake was in the author's note at the end, where she reveals that she borrowed liberally from her own family history for the major characters and some of the key plot points. Wow! My only criticism is that it all got a bit too melodramatic towards the end, but it wasn't enough to spoil my enjoyment.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona McIntosh is a magnificent storyteller and this novel had me turning the pages like a crazed woman to find out what transpired between Jack, Ned and Iris. And boy, wasn't I in for a shock at what took place in the exotic location of Kolar Gold Fields, India.
Practically from the start this tale was fraught with sadness. It's a tragic story of love, loss and betrayal. The last 100 or so pages became gloomy and so totally unexpected but in my eyes the ending was perfectly satisfying. I don't enjoy books where the closing isn't fulfilling and yes, a sequel would be most welcomed but I honestly think the ending was unique and I find it boring to read every book with a predictable conclusion.

My first read by this author and if any of her novels are as intriguing and compelling as this one I'm in for a seriously exquisite treat.

The author's note at end is fascinating. Highly, highly recommended.

[Bill Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Going back in time & to India. Enjoyed the tangled web of people's lives. I would think there is a follow-up.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book.

[Anastasia Georgiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια υπέροχη ιστορία με πάρα πολλά συναισθήματα. Μια ιστορία ειπωμένη το 1920 που οι ανθρώπινες σχέσεις, η επικοινωνία και η ζωή συναντούσαν συχνά πολλά εμπόδια. Όλα ήταν πιο δύσκολα και όλα ήταν πιο βαθιά. Ένα βιβλίο για την φιλία, την οικογένεια, την σχέση με τον εαυτό και τον έρωτα. Ένα απολαυστικότατο μυθιστόρημα που σε ταξιδεύει και σου κρατά υπέροχη συντροφιά.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful and evocative, an epic, sprawling tale. Loved it.

[Margaret Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, unexpected events, interesting ending.

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Fields of Gold Fiona McIntosh branches out from her usual genre of fantasy into sagas/historical fiction. As such, the book is very different from what I've otherwise come to expect from her work. She here tells the story of Ned and Jack - two very different English-men (sorry, one is Scottish) who end up working together in India after having been forced to move there due to personal circumstances.

I was very fascinated by the description of life in India, and believe it to be fairly accurate - or at least in accordance to what I've been told by other people/books. The descriptions of the characters were well done and interesting, although occasionally rather stereotypical. While not exactly a page-turner, I was kept well entertained during the first 500 pages, and was prepared to give it a high recommendation.

Unfortunately, the last 94 pages made me change my mind. Suddenly the book turned very dark, and the ending was a lot bleaker than the rest of the book had led me to believe it would be. That in itself didn't bother me too much (I prefer happy endings, but can accept that sometimes it just wouldn't make sense), but the fact that it seemed unnecessary - or even pointless - to have it end this way did. It may be that she's paving the way for a sequel, in which case the ending may prove to be justified, but as of now, there's no indication that this is the case, and therefore a lot of my enjoyment of the book was removed.

Still worth reading though, but be prepared for a less-than-happy ending.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this overly long, and as a romance towards the second half, not to my taste. Of some interest were the descriptions of gold mining in India. Not a great deal of info re life on the British Raj.
I managed 350 pages before giving up.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and enjoyed it. It was fascinating to read about India and even though the book is very long, it was easy to read

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like that ending, :(

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the end of the Great War, two young men find themselves far from home, with everything to gain or everything to lose......

Charismatic womaniser Jack Bryant has the world at his feet, but when trouble catches up with him he forced to flee Penzance.

Honest Ned Sinclair is on a family adventure in Rangoon when he is dealt a bitter blow. With all the odds against him, he risks his life is a desperate bid to escape.

Both men hope to start their lives anew, seeking their fortunes in India's fields of gold. Their paths collide in the colourful city of Bangalore, where they form a friendship like no other. In the years that follow, they remain inextricably bound by a dark secret, while their love for the same woman threatens to tear them apart.

From the windswept clifftops of the Cornish coast to the goldmines of southern India, this is a page-turning story of high adventure, devastating tragedy and enduring love.

Fiona McIntosh has interwoven some of her own family history into this story - her two grandfathers - one a Cornish miner and the other a Scot who lost his mother when the family was in Rangoon, and both ended up in Kolar Gold Fields in the 1920's.

She has interspersed some fiction & non-fiction into this story, it shows some of the pomposity shown towards the native Indians and sometimes the Anglo-Indians by the British who interloped into India to find their fortunes......

This story has always made me want to see India and visit some of it's many splendours & colours.

[Fiona Brodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book - wasn't sure I would like it in the beginning but soon got hooked into it

Charismatic womanizer Jack Bryant has the world at his feet, but when trouble catches up with him he's forced to flee Penzance for good.

Honest Ned Sinclair is on a family adventure in Rangoon when he is dealt a bitter blow. With all the odds against him, he risks his life in a desperate bid to escape.

Both men hope to start their lives anew, seeking their fortune in India's fields of gold. Their paths collide in the colorful city of Bangalore, where they form a friendship like no other. In the years that follow, they remain inextricably bound by a dark secret, while their love for the same woman threatens to tear them apart.

From the windswept cliffs of the Cornish coast to the goldmines of southern India, this is a page-turning story of high adventure, devastating tragedy and enduring love.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very thick book, and one I am sure most would be put off by. The story unfolds in a type of vignette of the early 1900's. I can imagine this being a mini-series or a movie back in the 1980's when this subject matter was common and popular.
I found the story at times a little lost and wondered if the history of the country, India, was being more historically spoken of rather than getting to the point. Toward the end, I was unsure what the outcome of the story was supposed to be. It made sense, sort of, yet I still felt let down.
Ploughed down by the emotions of the characters, at times, it became rather a tedious effort to work out where this was going.
Some of the storyline was very good, yet it seemed to prevent the author from going further into the details. At times, the detail was lost!
All in all, if you can bear with the tedium of the story, it is a very lovely read.

[Olwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Bryant from Cornwall and Ned Sinclair from Scotland end up in India after taking very different routes to get there and having very different reasons for being there. Jack fled England after an accident at the mine he worked at in Cornwall, and Ned and his sister, Bella, fled the orphange they were placed in after both their parents died in Burma. Jack and Ned make friends and end up working at the Kolar Gold Fields. They also both fall in love with the same woman, Iris Walker.

I believe Fiona McIntosh is in her element in historical dramas/romance, and I happily went along for the ride in this book. So much so, that I wouldn't mind knowing what happened next...

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved loved loved this book!! Wonderful story, beautifully written, great characters, descriptive to the point that you can picture yourself there. No unnecessary complicated storylines or drawn out backgrounds that aren’t needed.
Just perfect. Do yourself a favor and read it.
I listened to it on audiobook and thought that perhaps I wouldn’t enjoy it being read by a male but this guy did a fabulous job. He had just the right amount of an English accent for the roles and his Indian accents were brilliant even the ladies. Some men sound like transvestites or just totally ridiculous but this guy was amazing. He had so many different voices no character sounded the same as another.

[Andrew Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first novel by Fiona McIntosh that I have read, and I really enjoyed it. From the first few pages, the story and the characters pull you in then it's a real page-turner to the end. The plot of the book is strong and a great vehicle for a portrayal of very real characters and evoking a time in history that was quite unique. A story that runs across the years entwining triumphs and tragedies reflective of life. It is an extraordinarily rich and sweeping story that really captures your emotions in the book. Highly recommended.

[Sunflower · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars really. I agree with the cover blurb: "a blockbuster of a book that you won't want to put down"- ok that's cheating, but perfectly describes this book. Two strong male characters, at least one strong female one, the background of colonial India and mining both there and in Cornwall, kept things moving along. Towards the end the love triangle got a bit too much for me, then the actual ending redeemed it. Entertaining, interesting and at the end the author reveals that much of this was taken from her own family history!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook (I have dyslexia so audiobooks are perfect for. But I do Love a good book 📖 🤓 📚 🐛)
At times felt like I had been sweeped away to India, Smelling the herbs and spices.
What I didn’t like about the book was Jack!!! He got 2 woman pregnant, married one of them and then goes back to the Cornwall and leaves both woman left to hold the baby literally

[Trudi Lawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy this it was up and down. When the love triangle begun I really couldn’t put it down. I read the reviews and saw most people were unhappy with the ending. I reserved my judgement until the very end but yes agree I didn’t like the ending. I have now read all of her historical books and while this wasn’t my least favourite I wasn’t a huge fan.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terricic as always. Vaguely biographical, the author uses her grandparents as inspiration for the characters.
The 2 main protagonists having left England for different reasons, cross paths and become best friends. A woman tears them apart another steps in to try to rescue one.
Set in India, mining is the background, themes of racism, love, betrayal, family run through.
Loved it, as always.

[Cynthia Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona McIntosh rarely disappoints. I loved this story and am actually feeling a little lost now that it's finished. Character development perfection and being able to recreate the atmosphere of India so vividly I could almost smell the flowers.
My book is a signed copy from when I met the author at a presentation afternoon in Tasmania. She's lovely.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family saga covering many families, many towns and three country's.
A delight to read, from an author who can tell a story. Well crafted, well paced.

[Sara Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read that moves along. I'm unsure i liked the ending...but won't spoil it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars great book, loved it

[Ruth Meakin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good book - hated the ending though. No character growth at all.

[Kat Ashworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epic and colourful story. Woven by a series of traumatic events where profession, family, fate, friendship and love entwine characters and culture.

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

70 percent

[Jess]

Beautiful story, evocative setting, fascinating characters. I listened to the audio version using BorrowBox (Bolinda) with my local library, and the narration was perfect.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading Fields of Gold. Nicely paced book and mostly believable characters. Always enjoy novels based in India and reliving the hustle and bustle of previous visits.