Synopsis

Inspired by a true story

Hawaiian Islands, 1779

As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile will be permitted to marry for love. Her fiancé is the best navigator in Hawaiʻi, and he taught her everything he knows—how to feel the ocean, observe the winds, read the stars, and how to love.

But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed.

Finding herself in the middle of the battle and fearing for her life, Maile takes John Harbottle, the wounded man who killed her fiancé, prisoner, and though originally intending to let him die, she reluctantly heals him. And in the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead.

John has been Captain James Cook’s translator for three voyages across the Pacific. He is kind and clearly fascinated with her homeland and her people—and Maile herself. But guilt continues to drive a wedge between them: John’s guilt over the death he caused, and Maile’s guilt over the truth about what triggered the deadly battle—a secret she’s kept hidden from everyone on the island.

When Maile is tasked with teaching John how to navigate using the stars so he can sail back to England, they must also navigate the challenges of being from very different cultures. In doing so, they might also find the peace that comes when two hearts become one.

Review

I was amazed when I read this book and even more so when I read the authors notes and realized this story is based on her 4th great grandparents.  Wow!  To have that sort of history and be able to weave it into a story for us all to enjoy.

I enjoy reading historical fiction because it allows me to peek into a world that came before and set the world on its course to where we are today.  This story tells of a love between two people but it is so much more.  It gave me pause to observe the world around me and that we don’t need all of the fancy gadgets we have to be able to find our way home or across the country.  It is all in the stars.

While this story is a romance, it isn’t all sunshine and roses.  It is about trust.  There is strife between the two cultures.  The Hawaiian culture, which is so rich and diverse, and the English and their desire to learn more about their world.  While these two very different cultures learn to adapt to each other there are other times where they come to blows.  Maile is strong in her beliefs but is intrigued by the English and learns much from John but I think he might learn more from her in the end.

The story is fluid and the imagery used to reflect the island, the ships, the sea, and the people will draw you in and not let go.  I felt like I was there on the island or in the boat when Maile and John were out on the ocean as she taught him to navigate via the stars.  I even enjoyed the back and forth between the two characters POV and enjoyed the journal entries that were provided from John’s perspective.

This is a must read book!  We give it 5 paws up and if you have any sort of story like this in your background, write it down for future generations to cherish.

About the Author

Ilima Todd was born and raised on the north shore of Oahu and dives for octopus with her dad every time she visits otherwise she’s diving into books in the Rocky Mountains where she lives with her husband and four children. She graduated from BYU with a degree in physics and eats copious amounts of raw fish and avocados without regret. But mostly she loves being a wife and mama and wouldn’t trade that job for anything in the world.

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