Marooned

by Jennifer Miller

Marooned is the 19th century tale of Justin Radcliff, a young American who, on a voyage to the Ivory Coast, is beaten and thrown overboard by his evil twin brother, Edward.

Kolya, a handsome black man and leader of the Zulu tribe there, finds Justin caught in his net while fishing. Kolya nurses him back to health and together they form a deep bond that can’t be broken.

Lost in a country that has shown Justin violence, hate and destruction, he finds a new life with a love that torments his very existence. A beautiful, sensitive love story that struggles with truth, pain then acceptance.

A saga filled with passions and revolts; betrayals and greed... and murder. It is a time of discontent, rebellions and the struggles to stay alive.

Many lives are intricately interwoven and reverberate with discontent and superstitions, with the threat of drought and an active volcano looming over the village.
Brother against brother, treachery, plus Zulu tribal power going to the victor, be he evil or good.

Against the backdrop of the Ivory Coast, the moment erupts with fury and mayhem as Justin stands firm against a seemingly impossible array of threats.

This is a powerful saga that will take you places you may hesitate to go. An honest and emotional novel that will make you think on many issues.

Adult reading/ Fiction/ Historical Romance 1867

333 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 19, 2008

About the author

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

Reviews

[Kim M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could easily be called a love story with romance, desire, deep friendship, and loyalties surrounded by murder, and drama. Or, it could be called a family drama about sibling rivalry surrounded by twin brothers, revenge, greed, and good versus evil. Or, it could be called a cultural story with a clash of cultures surrounded by Zulu tribes, cannibalism, and local politics. Or it could be called a story of religion surrounded by missionaries, preachers, voodoo dolls, native people, and superstitions. What I am saying is that “Marooned” is an adventure with all of the above. It is a fast-paced book about twin brothers separated when one of them, Justin, is badly beaten, thrown overboard, and left for dead by his brother, Edward, however, Justin doesn’t die and is rescued after getting caught up in a fisherman’s net that is pulled to shore in an Ivory Coast setting in the late 1800’s. Three years later, Justin’s main goal remains the same...building a boat with the help of his best friend, Kolya, to get him off of the beautiful, but godforsaken island so he can extract revenge on his brother. On the other hand, Edward is traveling back to the area of his brother’s demise to obtain proof of his brother’s death for the aging father before he hands over the family fortune to Edward. Their final meeting is epic. “Marooned” is a wonderful story that pulls the reader in from the beginning pages and keeps the reader glued to their seats...you cannot put it down, a real page-turner that has well developed characters and elaborate descriptions of the horses that will put the reader on the backs of these splendid animals. The storyline is intriguing and will make you laugh, cry, and consider a different way of life at a different period of time. I enjoyed the detailed writing style, especially the use of dialogue, of Jennifer Miller. This was my first book by her, but it will not be my last...I look forward to reading more of her work. A definite 5 star! I highly recommend “Marooned.”