Published June 6th, 2024 by Chatto & Windus
Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Book Series
Welcome to my review for this gorgeous escapist summer read. Thank you to Insta Book Tours for my place on the readalong and Vintage for my copy of the book.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Zoologist Charlotte Walker has crossed the world to research rare tortoises on the remote island of Tuga.
Officially, she’s there for conservation. But the reality is more complicated, for Charlotte has long believed she has a connection to this isolated paradise. While coming to understand an endangered species, she’d hoped she might finally understand the truth about herself.
She’ll have little time for self-discovery, however. The close-knit community has never had a vet before, and the islanders are determined to tempt her from her tortoises and onto their farms.
Can she salvage her career (and the catastrophe of her personal life) before her year on the island is up?
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MY REVIEW:
Welcome to glorious Tuga. Blue sea, white sand and yellow sun, the world’s most remote inhabited island is paradise, and a world away from Herpetologist Charlotte Walker’s London home. Charlotte tells everyone she’s come here to study the rare gold coin turtles, but she’s actually searching for something much more personal. And as she searches the island for the truth, she might just find some friends – and herself – along the way.
Escape to a tropical paradise with this funny, emotional and intriguing novel. It’s a setting that makes it a perfect read for the summer, as does the story of family, friendship, romance, secrets and self-discovery. Francesca Segal’s writing is evocative, transporting me to Tuga so vividly that I could feel the heat of the sun on my skin and the sand in between my toes, I could smell the cake and taste the coconut water. The story starts slow, a pace that is necessary as Segal builds the world of Tuga and introduces us to Charlotte and residents of the island. But it soon picks up pace and I felt like I was part of the community of this tropical paradise. And that ending was the perfect way to make me excited to dive into book two.
I loved this place; from the donkeys people used to get around to their love of Cliff Richard and their strong community and sense of pride. But it also felt claustrophobic and I wouldn’t like everyone knowing my business almost before I did. And Segal has filled the story with a cast of colourful characters. Charlotte, the protagonist, is a likeable character. I loved her passion for preservation and enjoyed her scenes with the animals. The many wonderful characters who inhabit Tuga were a joy to read and I was quickly invested in their lives. I particularly enjoyed the exploits of the ‘demon twins’ and grumpy Grand Mary.
So, grab a cold drink, settle in your favourite reading spot, and escape to paradise this summer with this delightful story.
Rating: ☀️☀️☀️☀️
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Francesca Segal is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Innocents (2012) and The Awkward Age (2017), and a memoir of NICU motherhood, Mother Ship (2019). Her writing has won the 2012 Costa First Novel Award, a Betty Trask Award, and been longlisted for the Women’s Prize.
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BUY THE BOOK:
Bookshop.org* | Waterrstones* | Amazon*
*these are affiliate links
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers who are taking part in the blog tour.
Emma's Biblio Treasures 