Only a true heroine could not only survive, but prosper, when she finds herself an unwilling passenger on a ship transporting convicts to Australia.
Devon Wakefield only wanted to escape the unwanted attentions of her lustful stepfather. Yet her hiding place proved to be a doorway to a new life. Having inadvertently stumbled onto a convict ship bound for New South Wales in 1787, no one would believe her when she said she didn’t belong there. So, like it or not, she was on her way to a new home. On the banks of Sydney Harbor, Devon found strange new animals and people who would become her friends. She learned that she had an extraordinary talent and love for farming. And above all, she discovered the love of her life: Lieutenant Jonathan Lake of His Majesty’s Navy. The first few years in Australia brought nothing more pleasant than poverty and starvation. However, as the colony grew more prosperous, so did Devon. Yet as successful as she was as a farmer, Devon’s heart was broken. For Jonathan was gone, and she had been forced to marry another man. Sometimes it seemed as though Devon would never find love again - that all life promised her was work, work, and more work. Then, back in London. Jonathan makes a bizarre discovery that sets him and Devon back on the road to reunion and to true love.
Excerpt
"Now!" said Manjiree. "Breathe in the smoke! Listen to the drum! Look into the crystal!" She began beating out a slow, steady, rhythmic sound on her drum, then broke into a strange, haunting chant in the Iora language. Devon and Lindy fixed their gazes on the crystal suspended over the fire . . .
Suddenly [Devon] seemed to be floating through the air. She could no longer hear the music . . . Then she was in a bedroom. It was just beginning to be lit with the first light of dawn - enough for Devon to see that there was a man asleep on the bed.
Embarrassed, she wanted to leave, but felt compelled to approach the bed. She looked into the man's face. It was Jonathan. She tried to reach out and stroke his forehead, but her hand passed through it; she pulled her hand back in shock . . .
Suddenly she was back around the fire again. Manjiree was still chanting and playing her drum . . .
Devon broke away from them and ran . . . to the nearest tree, where she collapsed. "Jonathan, oh, Jonathan!" she cried out. "Will I never see you again?"
,,,
Want to review or comment on this book?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviews for "Devon Wakefield"
Reviewed by T. B. Jones
12/22/2002
The action starts on the first page, there are few 'explanatory conversations' between the characters - yet the history is very much present throughout the book, due to some clever crafting on the part of the author. The heroine, Devon Wakefield, is a plucky little girl who shouldn't have even been on the First Fleet; the hero, a confirmed Londoner named Jonathan Lake, undergoes a profound inner transformation because of Australia and because of his love for Devon. The action never ceases, and the characters are well-drawn. . . .Whether or not you're interested in early Australian history, if you like historical romances you'll love DEVON WAKEFIELD. And if you don't particularly like historical romances, you'll still like it. In my humble opinion, it's better literature than most of the historical romances on the market. Enjoy!
Ireland 1967. The Summer of love. Or was it?
A holiday weekend. Amazing weather. American student Dakota Lacey is hiking around Kerry.
But there’s a sinister, dark side to the atmosphere. Lone female hikers are being brutally attacked.
Ireland 1947. Seven weeks of relentless snow. Guard Eamon Foley is searching for a missing child.
At Toby Appleyard’s farm, he discovers the kitchen littered with dead cats. And the skeletal remains of a woman. Upstairs, Toby is dead in his bed.
Ireland 1967. The Summer of love. Or was it?
A holiday weekend. Amazing weather. American student Dakota Lacey is hiking around Kerry.
But there’s a sinister, dark side to the atmosphere. Lone female hikers are being brutally attacked.
