Cirrus@Austlit

'Discovery. Desire. Deception. A wondrously imagined tale of two female botanists, separated by more than a century, in a race to discover a life-saving flower . . .

'In Victorian England, headstrong adventuress Elizabeth takes up her late father's quest for a rare, miraculous plant. She faces a perilous sea voyage, unforeseen dangers and treachery that threatens her entire family.

'In present-day Australia, Anna finds a mysterious metal box containing a sketchbook of dazzling watercolours, a photograph inscribed 'Spring 1886' and a small bag of seeds. It sets her on a path far from her safe, carefully ordered life, and on a journey that will force her to face her own demons.

'In this spellbinding botanical odyssey of discovery, desire and deception, Kayte Nunn has so exquisitely researched nineteenth-century Cornwall and Chile you can almost smell the fragrance of the flowers, the touch of the flora on your fingertips . . .' (Publication summary)

'When something is taken away, it can make what’s left all the sweeter – in winemaking, they call it the ‘angels’ share’.

'Mattie Cameron thinks she’s got it all figured out: an impressive career in London, a gorgeous boyfriend and brilliant friends. But after a freak skiing accident leaves her with serious injuries, a broken heart and a job she can no longer do, moving back to Australia to recuperate at her brother Mark’s winery in the Shingle Valley seems like the only option.

'Meanwhile, Mark is preoccupied with a catastrophic threat to the future of the valley, and his partner, Rose, is juggling the demands of her burgeoning restaurant and being a stepmother, all the while secretly longing for a child of her own.

'As Mattie’s injuries heal, she begins to wonder where her future might lie, especially when she finds herself struggling with her growing feelings for winemaker Charlie Drummond – who happens to be engaged to someone.

'Featuring the cherished cast of characters from Rose’s Vintage, this new tale of life and love in the spectacular Shingle Valley is set to charm and delight.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In Cold War Leningrad, Sofi and her cousins Natalya and Lena hope for a different life for themselves. Their dreams of the West - of fame and wealth and beautiful things - sustain them through creeping poverty, the long shivering winters, and the loss of their fathers. When the fall of the Soviet Union brings them new opportunities, the three girls decide they'll stop at nothing to make their dreams come true.

'Each woman grasps at a new life in Europe and, for a while, it seems fortune has smiled on them. But gradually things unravel as reality fails to live up to their teenage dreams.

'Sofi's life in a small village in rural France is idyllic, but her husband is remote and cool. Nataliya shines on the red carpets and at the fashion shows of London, but her success is precariously reliant on another's whims. Lena has two beautiful children and a loving husband, but in her mind her sister casts too long a shadow directly and she becomes obsessed with the past.

'Dissatisfactions prompt jealousies, rivalries and betrayals. As their relationships splinter, none of them is aware of a dark figure from their Russian years, and the bad luck that still lies in wait for them...'

Source: Author's website, http://www.kimwilkins.com/
Sighted: 24/09/2008