First published 2012
Gemma Hardy loses everything when her widowed father drowns at sea. The ten-year-old leaves Iceland for Scotland, where her uncle welcomes her warmly into his household. His sudden death changes everything. Her resentful aunt makes Gemma an unwelcome burden at Yew House. A scholarship to Claypoole school promises escape, but Gemma discovers the other students treat her as their unpaid servant. When the school collapses financially, she flees to the remote Orkney Islands as an au pair. At isolated Blackbird Hall, Gemma cares for eight-year-old Nell while her guardian Hugh Sinclair travels between London and the islands on business. The wealthy, unmarried Sinclair captivates everyone he meets, including Gemma. Their unlikely attraction grows into something deeper, but Gemma faces her greatest challenge yet. She must navigate passion and betrayal, seeking redemption and self-discovery in a world that has offered her little kindness. Her journey will lead her toward a future she never imagined possible.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, rags-to-riches
Setting: Iceland, Orkney Islands, Scotland
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
443 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins Publishers