Cry of the Rain Bird
A mesmerising Australian saga of love, intrigue and betrayal
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- $0.99
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
The golden shores of Trinity Bay might not be the paradise they dream of...
Patricia Shaw's Cry of the Rain Bird is an absorbing romantic saga set in the seemingly blissful Trinity Bay, with dark twists along the way. The perfect read for fans of Fleur McDonald and Elizabeth Haran.
Englishman Corby Morgan and his young wife Jessie set sail for the golden shores of Trinity Bay, dreaming of an easy life in paradise. But Providence, the sugar plantation that is to be their home, promises danger as well as prosperity. As obstinate Corby drives his Australian manager Mike Devlin to distraction learning to farm the sugar cane, Devlin becomes attracted to gentle Jessie. Jessie meanwhile becomes involved with running the plantation and befriends the Aborigines and labourers, while her coquettish sister Sylvia pursues her own selfish goals. Facing a shocking introduction to plantation life and battling racial conflict and political upheavals, the planters of Providence are unprepared when nature strikes a fearful blow...
What readers are saying about Cry of the Rain Bird:
'Gripped from the very first page'
'Rich in historical detail and provides understanding and insight into the culture of the land's original inhabitants'
'A fascinating, first class read'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shaw (Where the Willows Weep) delivers yet another absorbing romance/adventure yarn set in 19th-century Australia, complete with exotic locales, sexual intrigue and social tensions brought on by changing mores. When Englishman Corby Morgan determines to buy a Queensland sugar plantation, he and his quietly intelligent wife, Jessie, must turn to Jessie's father, known as ``the Professor,'' and his flirtatious daughter, Sylvia, to close the deal. The foursome sets off to their new life on the plantation-managed by the dashing Mike Devlin-where reality, alternately harsh and pleasant, sets in. Meanwhile, counterpoint passages tell of the indentured South Sea islanders who labor on the region's plantations, particularly of one Talua, aka Joseph, son of a chief and considered by his fellow islanders to be a god. Back at the plantation, manipulative Sylvia has a mad affair with Corby during Jessie's advanced pregnancy, while further complications-criminal, financial and romantic-ensue. Heaping on the melodrama, and weaving in Talua/Joseph's troubles as the thread that binds the historico-political background to the plot, Shaw keeps the reader's interest high.
