Island in the East

By: Jenny Ashcroft

Narrated by: Emma Powell

With a sizzling love affair playing out against sisterly rivalry and epic family drama, Island in the East is the perfect read for fans of Victoria Hislop, Dinah Jefferies and Tracy Rees.

Two great loves. One shattering betrayal. A war that changes everything.

Singapore, 1897

Harriet and Mae Grafton are 20 year-old identical twins born from a scandalous affair. They grew up in India slighted by gossip and ostracised from polite society. They had each other and that was enough. But when their wealthy benefactor sends them to Singapore, they meet the mysterious Alex Blake and their relationship fractures with devastating consequences.

1941

Ivy Harcourt is posted to wartime Singapore amid the looming threat of Japanese invasion. Ivy knows the island will be a far cry from war-torn London, but she is totally unprepared for what awaits her: strangers from her grandmother Mae's past, an unstoppable love affair and a shattering secret that's been waiting to be uncovered....

Vivid, authentic and utterly beautiful, Island in the East is evocative, atmospheric and romantic historical fiction at its very best.

©2018 Jenny Ashcroft (P)2018 Little, Brown Book Group

Critic reviews

"Beautifully written and impressively researched, Island in the East is a stunner. Emotional, evocative and enthralling." (Kate Furnivall)

"Completely entrancing - the humidity and social tensions of a bygone Singapore rise from every page. Perfect escapism, beautifully written." (Emma Rous)

"Island in the East is that rare thing: a dual narrative novel in which both strands of the story are as engaging and compelling as each other...it's impossible to put this book down." (Kate Riordan)

Pretty good for romantic historical fiction

Pretty good for escapist reading. There are a LOT of plotting i probabilities, and the big twist is blantantly obvious, but somehow it all works. The author writes very evocatively of Singapore, and that is a big part of what makes this book so entertaining. Also, this narrator was perfect for this story.