About the Book
Finella Mayfield hates two things: liars and thieves. And she’s determined to marry a man who’s neither. Chasing her dead father’s dreams, the twenty-year-old English bride arrives in Australia in 1875 for an arranged marriage. Anticipating her future as village preacher’s wife, she records her thoughts in her Everlasting journal.
But instead of her fiancé, Finella is met by Shadrach Jones, a poor farmer sent to collect her from the busy Melbourne pier. This is not what her father planned. And it’s only the beginning of the unraveling of Finella Mayfield ~ the bride with no groom.
All Shadrach Jones longs for is rows of mustard and chicory. He’s busy growing a farm near the Phillip Island fishing village of Cowes, and caring for Molly, his simple sister. Far from the brutal life they remember with their ex-convict father, Shadrach’s building something new. But he’s also made a promise to a dying friend. To collect and marry the English girl destined to never be a preacher’s wife.
Can Shadrach convince Finella she has a future with a farmer? Can he convince himself, knowing his family secrets will haunt their future?
Excerpt
Finella yanked at the miserable hoop wire. Of all the places to snag, it chose a railway line along Melbourne’s busy pier.
“Lady, did ya hear?” The driver bellowed over the roar of his horse and trolley.
Finella tugged again. The wire bent back but refused to let go and perspiration trickled into the hollow of her neck. Surely this wasn’t happening. Not now.
“Come on…” The clang of the bell filled her ears with such a din, she could hardly hear herself. “Move!” She let out another grunt and rattled the wire, but silk gloves were not made for emergencies.
Two large hands pushed hers aside and snapped the coil.
Before she could identify the the owner, the same strong hands hoisted her off the line, and deposited her on the other side in a vice-like grip.
Her feet touched the boards, and a wave of dizziness collected her in a blind surge. She closed her eyes. It felt as if the pier swayed underfoot, and she grabbed for whatever held her upright.
Her fingers tightened around the upper arms of a coarse coat, and she opened her eyes to see a man’s collarless white shirt, open at the neck and black woolen waistcoat.
She lessened her grip. His remained fixed.
“Interesting way to step off a ship.” His low voice wrapped around her. Before she could properly raise her head, a grinning woman nudged her shoulder. Her musky breath hardly covered the stink of her hair.
“That was close.” The woman chuckled and chewed at the same time.
Finella closed her eyes again and tried to gain her equilibrium. Not only was the pier moving, but a throbbing pain in her calf signaled more than a broken dress hoop.
“Told ya to follow. Lucky for you, ya boy decided to meet ya halfway.”
She looked up at the man. Surely this was not Mr. Gleeson? Taller than her father had described him, with wide shoulders and a sun-touched face, he looked nothing like any preacher she’d seen. His shirt looked clean, but the stitching was frayed and unlike most men she knew, he was clean-shaven. Eyes a deeper shade than sapphires stared at her.
“You’re not hurt are you, miss?” His hands let go but those eyes held on.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.” She glanced at the trolley track, and rubbed her shoulder. “Was that you back there?”
The beggar-woman chuckled. “Sprinted in like a trooper. Surprised ya both didn’t end up under the cart.” She chewed the side of her nail while she talked but pulled her finger out of her mouth when the man frowned at her.
“Well, I’m off then. I see ya both too shy for lovebird cooin’ with me around.”
Finella’s head throbbed. What was the woman babbling about?
“Got ya’self a real hero here, miss.”
The beggar pocketed a coin offered by the man and awarded them both a little curtsy. “May ya’ days together be many and blessed.”
Blessed? Finella shook her head. “I think there’s been a mistake. I thought you were taking me to my fiancè. I thought you knew where I could find Mr. Gleeson. Mr. George Gleeson?”
“What’dya mean, luv? Ya boy’s right here.” The beggar woman gave the man a playful jab. “Been makin’ eyes at ya photograph all mornin’.”
The man shook his head. “Thank you. You’re free to go.” He forced his words through gritted teeth and Finella spied a hint of red in his cheeks. He lowered his voice. “Your help’s appreciated. Your tongue is not.”
With a mischievous wink the beggar took her leave.
Review
I love it when you pick up a new-to-me author and feel as though you’ve discovered a long lost friend. Perhaps it helps that this novel is set in my home country, Australia—you don’t find many of those in Christian fiction—but even had it been set elsewhere, I think it’s safe to say I would have fallen in love with this author’s writing and her characters from the very beginning. Adamek’s prose is lyrical and fresh and felt totally authentic for the period she was portraying, and she invites the reader into the heart of her characters so naturally, you’re caught up in their world in a matter of breaths.
Even were that not the case, it would have been difficult not to feel for Finella, who arrives in Australia after months of sea travel only to find all her plans eroding beneath her feet. Alone in an unfamiliar country and half a world away from everything she knows, it’s a difficult period of adjustment, particularly in Shadrach and Molly’s very simple accommodations! But Molly makes all the difference. She’s one of those secondary characters who really enriches a story, and her friendship with Finella is endearing, giving Finella purpose and companionship when she needs it most.
I wasn’t too far into the story before I realised Shadrach was quickly becoming a new favourite hero. I suspect my opinion was sealed about the time he gave Finella a lesson on baking damper! But then there’s the shells, and the mud bricks, and his devotion to his sister’s well-being, not to mention the oven… He’s a man who knows how to love well, and when he’s determined, nothing can turn him from his course.
Add to all this a plot that was captivating in its own right, frequently delivering the unexpected, be it delight, hardship, sorrow, or hope, and you have the makings of a story every historical romance lover should read.
Coming Soon!
About the Author
Australian author, Dorothy Adamek, writes Displacement Fiction ~ the stories of people upended by tragedy and trauma, and their struggle to belong in their new world.
Couched in romance, her fiction is set in the late Victorian era. She is the author of Carry Me Home, the first book in the Blue Wren Shallows trilogy, and resides with her family in the world’s most liveable city, Melbourne.
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Thank you so much, dear Katie. I’m thrilled you enjoyed meeting Shadrach and Finella, and Molly.
You have captured the beauty of this story in your review, Katie – love reading your thoughts on Carry Me Home as I’ve been so excited for you to read it. Dorothy is such an exceptional talent!