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An intimate, intense, beautifully realised novel of possession, power and loss of innocence, for fans of Mister Pip and The Poisonwood Bible

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An intimate, intense and beautifully realised novel of possession, power and the liberating loss of innocence, this will delight fans of MISTER PIP and THE POISONWOOD BIBLE.

Oceania 1879. A family of settlers from New Zealand are the sole inhabitants of a remote volcanic island.

For two years they have struggled with the harsh reality of trying to make this unforgiving place a paradise they can call their own. At last, a ship appears. The six Pacific Islanders on board have travelled eight hundred miles across the ocean in search of work and new horizons. Hopes are high for all, until a vulnerable boy vanishes. In their search for the lost child, settlers and newcomers together uncover far more than they were looking for. The island´s secrets force them all to question their deepest convictions.

Praise for the novels of Lydia Syson:

´A tour de force´ Piers Torday

´Full of drama courage and aspirations´ Carol Drinkwater

´Highly compelling´ Anna Mazzola

´Tense, evocative, richly imagined´ Emma Darwin

´Superb and engrossing´ Wendy Moore

´Reminds us why we consumed The Poisonwood Bible and The Underground Railroad so avidly´ Michelle Lovric

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A thrilling story of love and courage , brutality and hope all told with equal measures of deep humanity , i magination and élan . Lydia Syson has an amazing gift of bringing history alive through richness of language, dramatic pace and fabulous visual imagery. This is better than watching a film! Anne Sebba

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Lydia Syson lives in south London with her partner and four children. After an early career as a BBC World Service Radio producer, she turned from the spoken to the written word, and developed an enduring obsession with history, including her family history. Read more about Lydia and her books at www.lydiasyson.com or on Twitter: @lydiasyson

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