Acclaimed and Award-Winning Author’s Talent Continues to Win FansIt has been six years since army nurse Jenny Bennett’s heart was broken by a dashing naval officer. Now Lieutenant Ryan Gallagher has abruptly reappeared in her life at the Presidio army base but refuses to discuss the inexplicable behavior that destroyed their happiness.Ryan is in an impossible situation. One of the few men in the … One of the few men in the world qualified to carry out a daring assignment, he accepted a government mission overseas that caused his reputation to be destroyed and broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved. Honor bound never to reveal where he had been during those six years, he can’t tell Jenny the truth or it will endanger an ongoing mission and put thousands of lives at risk.
Although Ryan thinks he may have finally found a solution, he can’t pull it off on his own. Loyalty to her country compels Jenny to help, but she never could have imagined the intrigue she and Ryan will have to face or the lengths to which they will have to go to succeed.
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My Review:
Genre: Historical fiction.
My Rating: 3 and 1/2 stars.
My Recommendation: 17/18 up, warnings below.
My favorite character/s: Ryan is a soft sweet guy that makes quite s few mistakes with the girl he loves. (Mistakes mentioned often and not something you want to read under 16/18 years old.)
My Verse for Ryan is Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (King James Version].)
About Jenny, um, I couldn’t really connect with her and it felt like she kept going through a loop with her feelings for Ryan.
My Thoughts: While I loved this book and the whole adorable thing the mistakes that Ryan made were brought up A LOT and I just didn’t like that. Though there is redemption for the characters the suggestions and mentions of the characters sins were shown throughout the book. Then there’s Finn… Who I loved at the end and want to know what happens to him. (I’ll have to check out the author’s other books!)
Other than that To The Furthest Shore is a wonderful novel and I loved learning about pearls and how they are grown. And Lily! She was so lovable, cute, sweet, and I wanted to hug the poor girl!
Warnings: A child is born out of wedlock, a woman is abandoned by the man she loves, drugs, drinking and bribing mentioned/done and there are attempts on characters lives.
Elizabeth Camden is a need to read author!
I don’t suppose I’m particularly in the target audience for this author’s genre, but “To the Farthest Shores” is a fine read. It’s a love story with military overtones, and happens within the context of pearl harvesting early in the 20th century. Readers will enjoy the authenticity of the era; the San Francisco scenes ring true (but what would I know?), and you’ll end up feeling jealous over the reality that the lead male character enjoys the luxury of a ocean-front home where he can dabble in his aquatic pastime.
This book is listed as inspirational fiction; however, the Christian element is really minimal. A lot of readers prefer it that way, and I don’t mind either, but if you’re expecting a lot of prayer, God, and Jesus, it’s really not there. Just so you know.
Any gentle knocks I have on this manuscript must be tempered by the fact of my being a crusty male reader. But it does seem as if the Jenny character does lurch from one emotional state to the extreme opposite at the slightest provocation. From the heights of ecstasy to the throes of what-a-bum within mere paragraphs. The other less-than-authentic element is everyone’s tendency to deliver pre-packaged little speeches that doesn’t sound particularly authentic. Aaron Sorkin would heartily approve this story, and that’s not the worst thing a reviewer could say about any book, but those moments are less than realistic.
Still, the plot is interesting, things don’t wrap up until the last chapter, and both of the main characters are likable. Plus the story does detour briefly over to Bangkok, which earns an extra Amazon star for me right there.
By the way, in addition to reading this book, I heard perhaps the first third of it in the audiobook format (my two weeks ran out!), and the presenter, Angela Brazil, is quite good.
The historical background of this story was so interesting! I hadn’t heard almost anything about the setting and historical aspects of this story. It was great learning about MID and some of the tensions we had with other countries prior to the World War.
I wasn’t as in love with the main characters as I usually am with Camden’s stories. I liked Jenny pretty well, except for a few moments. She was strong and cared so much about others, and the times I didn’t like her probably made her more realistic. Ryan annoyed me for at least half of the story. I think the main reason being he was such a secret keeper, and that drove me nuts. Especially since he seemed able to be honest with everyone except Jenny.
Now this is the spoiler part. My favorite character was actually Finn. Not that I liked him at the beginning, he was absolutely awful then. But his character grew and changed so much. I loved his sense of humor, and at how well suited he was to being a spy. Honestly he needs at least his own novella, if not book, for what happens after he leaves the states.
Camden is my favorite historical fiction author and this book is definitely one of my top three favorites! So good!
Incredible story…love this author
Excellent read. Highly recommend.
This book was frustrating to me only because I wondered if the characters were ever going to tell each other the truth. Jenny (a WWII nurse) and Ryan were very much in love and planning to marry. Ryan was suddenly sent on a special mission to China and was gone for years. He finally did come back–with his little daughter in tow. A crushed Jenny struggled to keep her broken heart from destroying her. While this story does have a happy ending, I was exhausted until the last page waiting for the two of them to get their act together!
Interesting topic and characters.
They must overcome a painful past to find a future…
To The Farthest Shores is one of Elizabeth Camden’s most character driven stories yet. They are not cookie-cutter, ultra-perfect people, they are real and their struggles, especially with forgiveness and trust, will resonate with pretty much all readers.
The details of Japanese culture and the intricate nuances of courtesy and honor were fascinating. And the suspense angle, that tied in with the Japan element, made things doubly as interesting. But, for me, personally, the best part was the lovely descriptions of the early cultured pearl industry.
If you are looking for a book with flawed characters who battle themselves and each other as they struggle to find lasting love and peace. If you love historical fiction. If you are a fan of Elizabeth Camden. Or D all the above, you just might want to check out To The Farthest Shores.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)