Spirited doctor Isla Fenwick is determined to work at the coalface of medicine in India before committing to life as a dutiful wife. With hopes of making a difference in the world, she sails to Calcutta to set up a midwifery clinic. There she will be forced to question her beliefs, her professionalism and her romantic loyalties. On a desperate rescue mission to save the one person who needs her … her the most, she travels into the foothills of the Himalayas to a tea plantation outside Darjeeling. At the roof of the world, where heaven and earth collide, Isla will be asked to pay the ultimate price for her passions. From England’s seaside town of Brighton to India’s slums of Calcutta and the breathtaking Himalayan mountains, this is a wildly exciting novel of heroism, heartache and healing, by the bestselling author of The Chocolate Tin.
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Nearing Christmas time, Isla was walking with her father on an Autumns day through Kensington Garden (of which they lived in South Kensington), when father just happened to mention, marriage. You see, Isla was now 30 and her father kept reminding Isla that he promised his wife (now deceased) that Isla will be married by 31. Father just slipped into conversation a certain Jove Manderville, a crush love Isla had when she was flat chested and had pigtails. Isla hadn’t seen Jove for fifteen or so years. Father was keen, although Isla wasn’t, however she reluctantly said yes, only for her father’s sake.
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Jove had picked a “common ground” venue and Isla had no idea where she was being chauffeured to .. a marriage proposal that was full of glass and with a “condition” suggested, and both agreed upon.
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Isla (Dr Fendalton she was officially called, dealing in obstetrics) ideal dream was to go to Calcutta, India, and help set up a decent clinic there, however life was not straight forward as she planned, being introduced to one rude, obnoxious doctor, called Saxon Vickery, a Professor, who should be avoided by all costs and Miles, who had an ego the size as the universe. There was tension between the two males and Isla heart set on one of them…. was she going to risk it all and break the condition promised by herself and Jove back in England?
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I can’t get over how well written this book is!! I thought this was a nicely paced book, the way this story was told, and the plotting of it all, suited it well…… the pacing was just right. Immediately I was transported to London, nestled down amongst father and Isla, eaves dropping to see who was winning the war of whether father was successful with his matchmaking. Isla was definitely a strong willed character, but wise with it too, so I didnt despair if things didnt go according to plan, as I felt Isla would come out of it in one piece. Jove, to me, a perfect gentleman, his conditions fair and honest. I absolutely lived in this book!! I was going on a train, to of all places …. Calcutta, a place I thought I would never get to … and never by a train! and only the creme de la creme for Isla, a perfect train ride, for sure! …. I was all ears as Mr Professor, and Mr High Almighty tossed Isla into quite a sea of emotions, and wondering was Isla playing with fire? Because as far as I was concerned Isla was going to drown if she kept doing what she was doing, going. Or is she wiser than that? Can she distinguish the fire? Or is the rough sea going to put it out for her? Isla doesn’t half pick her men!!
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This book comes highly recommended by me. I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Historical Fiction, especially London, England, Culcutta, India. This book is very much a womens book as it does go into woman’s birthing issues, etc, so I would recommend to women out there that have gone through child birth. This book also does explain on how tea is grown, so I recommend to anyone with the fascination and curiosity on how it is made. This book also deals in “love triangles” so I recommend this book to anyone who likes being entertained by character dynamics that arent too complicated but deals in heart ache, cheating and happy endings. I would at this point like to thank, Ellen Read for gifting me this beautiful book and recommending it to me.