In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.
Although it flies against all the conventions, they’re determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, conventions are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined–and that’s just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this harsh and unfamiliar world.
Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.
To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?
To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?
Lisa T. Bergren has published more than 40 books with more than 3 million books sold combined. She’s the author of the Christy Award-winning Waterfall, RITA®-finalist Firestorm, bestselling God Gave Us You, and popular historical series like Homeward, Grand Tour, and more. She’s also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three teen-and-older children.
Find out more about Lisa at http://lisatawnbergren.com.
My Impressions:
With its exotic locale, interesting time period, and relatable characters, Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren is a good choice for fans of historical fiction. The first book in The Sugar Baron’s Daughters series set on the Caribbean colonial island of Nevis, this novel doesn’t cover up the hardships or moral dilemmas facing the planters that sought to subdue nature and provide sugar to England. I can recommend this well-researched and richly detailed novel.
Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson is a determined woman who is facing down her fears by journeying to Nevis to reclaim her family’s fortunes. But while determination is a fine attribute, she soon finds that it alone will not make her plantation successful, nor prevent disasters that endanger its prospects. Along with her sisters Verity and Selah, Keturah must learn to trust in others for help and in God to provide.
Bergren does a great job of bringing the world of the late 1770s alive in Keturah. I loved the attention to detail — from the ship journeying to Nevis to the sights and smells that awaited the characters on-island. Nothing is prettied-up. It was a tough time that called for men and women to put aside sensibilities and manners to survive. The main characters are well-drawn. I could relate to Keturah as she sought to provide for and protect her sisters. Her childhood friend, Gray Covington was a wonderful character as well. A reformed playboy, Gray’s reliance on God’s providence proved an effective influence on Keturah. There are a few hard issues explored in Keturah — slavery and abuse. While I appreciate the author’s willingness to include subject matter that was commonplace in that time period, I would have liked her to delve a bit deeper. The main characters are much opposed to the ill-treatment of slaves, but justify owning them. Slavery is seen as an economic necessity even as they abhorred the practice. While modern readers can easily see the fallacy of their views, it would be good to remember that in our contemporary lives we too often tolerate sin for the sake of economics. Keturah struggles with her personal abuse at the hands of her deceased husband. I liked that she was able to overcome its hold on her life, but felt that it occurred a bit too quickly.
All in all, Keturah proved to be a fascinating look into a mostly unknown (at least to me 🙂 ) time and place. If you like historical fiction set in the colonial period of the New World, then this one is a definite must-read. There are two more books promised in this series — Verity and Selah; those are definitely on my TBR radar!
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
To purchase, click HERE.
(Thanks to LitFuse and Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Giveaway!
Travel back in time to 1772 England and meet Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson, who has to go to the West Indies to save what is left of her family’s heritage in Lisa T. Bergren’s new book, Keturah. Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?
Enter to win a copy of Keturah. Five winners will be chosen! Click HERE to enter to win. The winners will be announced March 13 on the Litfuse blog!
I just finished listening to Keturah on an MP3 CD. I loved the vivid descriptions of the setting and the events of the story line. Adventure, suspense, and romance are all included, but I also loved the values–respect and proper treatment for women and slaves (set in the 1700’s), hard work, and resourcefulness.
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂