Book Extract: Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife By Ann Bennett
It’s so wonderful to be welcoming Ann Bennett and the Book Birthday Blitz for her book, Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife.
From award-winning author Ann Bennett comes a haunting and powerful novel of love and loss during World War 2 Malaya.
‘A vivid account of a brutal period, and a searing exploration of trauma, memory and loss..’ The Lady Magazine.
1938: Juliet and her sister Rose arrive in Penang to stay with an aunt, after the death of their father. Juliet quickly falls under the spell of Gavin Crosby, a plantation owner, who despite his wealth, charm and good looks is shunned by the local community. Rushed into marriage, Juliet is unprepared for the devastating secrets she uncovers on Gavin’s plantation, and the bad blood between Gavin and his brother…
But in 1941 the Japanese occupy Malaya and Singapore sweeping away that world and changing Juliet’s life forever.
For decades after the war which robbed her of everyone she loved, Juliet lives as a recluse back on the plantation. But in 1962 the sudden appearance of Mary, a young woman from an orphanage in Indonesia, forces Juliet to embark on a journey into the past, and to face up to the heart-breaking truths she’s buried for so long.
This book has previously been published both as The Planter’s Wife and as Bamboo Island
Praise for Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife..
‘This was a story of love, passion and cruelty I could not put down … I needed to discover Juliet’s secrets.’ Lizeanne Lloyd – Lost in a Good Book
‘I raced through this book in just over twenty-four hours … I literally could not put it down. I connected and sympathised with Juliet as a character so much… and I was constantly on edge whilst reading it, desperate to find out more about her past.’ Bibliobeth – Goodreads.
‘I really loved this haunting, powerful and beautiful novel.’ Amazon Reviewer.
To celebrate its birthday, Ann has shared an extract from Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife
Chapter 1
Windy Ridge Estate, Malaya, 1962
The big white house dominated the crest of the hill and looked out over the lines of rubber trees to the jungle beyond. It was quite alone, miles from any neighbours, and hardly any traffic ever ventured along the rutted dirt road that ran the five miles between the estate and the nearest settlement, Kuala Lipis. It had been a proud, grand building in the years before the war, its paintwork startling white against the blue of the tropical sky, but now the walls were scabbed and peeling and there were a few gaping holes in the roof where the tiles had blown off during the high monsoon winds.
The deep veranda running the length of the ground floor was shaded with bamboo chicks, which were rolled up near the front door so that Juliet Crosby, relaxing in her deep rattan chair, had a view of the faint breeze playing in the rubber trees. She watched it ruffling the leaves, turning them from green to grey and back again.
She always sat here at this time of day, before the sun had begun its descent behind the jungle-covered horizon, and the cicadas were still chattering in the casuarina trees in the garden. This was the best hour of her unwavering routine. She liked to sit with her afternoon tea tray on the little cane table, her two Dalmatians lazing on the boards of the veranda beside her, and take deep breaths to empty her mind of everything but the mundane business of running the estate, banishing any other thoughts that might trouble her. She loved the sharp light of the early evening. It was as if the sun was burning with renewed intensity before it dipped away.
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Book Review: Perotine By Dreena Collins
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Dreena Collins and the blog tour for her book. Perotine.
Abandoned, faithful – and on trial for heresy.
On a bleak autumn morning in 1555, Protestant Perotine wakes to find her husband packed to leave. Catholicism has returned to Guernsey, and, fearing for his life, he abandons Perotine, her sister and mother to face increasing hostility alone.
The three women endure a challenging winter of rain, isolation, and poverty – until a dramatic series of events draws unwanted attention. When a local woman asks Perotine to hide stolen goods, what begins as a trial for theft spirals into accusations of heresy.
Secluded, steadfast, and terrified, the women face their plight with fortitude and prayers. Together.
But Perotine Massey holds a terrible secret. One that could bring a reprieve, or a fate worse than death.
And she’ll do anything to keep that secret safe.
*****
Perotine has recently married and is settling into life with her new husband on the island of Guernsey. However, with the rise of Catholicism under the reign of Queen Mary, it isn’t long before Perotine is left alone with her sister and mother. Alone and vulnerable, rumours soon put them in danger. Can they weather the storm?
I had not previously read anything by Dreena Collins when I was invited onto the blog tour for her latest book, Perotine. The premise for this novel is one I found intriguing.
by Book Extract: Body Man By Al Pessin
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Al Pessin to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, Body Man.
Moments that seem contained can quickly expand into something far larger, especially when they strike at the center of power. What begins as a single act can ripple outward, reshaping roles and responsibilities in ways no one anticipated. In Body Man by Al Pessin, that ripple becomes a turning point.
A new presidency built on sweeping reform quickly becomes the focal point of national tension. When an assassination attempt fails, the aftermath sparks widespread unrest that spreads rapidly across the country.
Spencer, the president’s closest aide, gains unexpected influence as leadership becomes increasingly unstable. His proximity to power places him at the center of critical decisions.
Carl, a disgraced Marine sniper, is drawn into a militant movement convinced that drastic action is necessary. His mission begins with purpose but grows uncertain as events escalate.
As cities erupt and institutions begin to fracture, both men are pulled deeper into a conflict neither can control. Each believes he is acting in the country’s best interest, even as the line between defender and adversary becomes increasingly blurred.
Al has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
(Warning: Language).
*****beginning of extract*****
Chapter 1
Spencer
I’m the best person to tell you this story.
by Book Review: Tribune and the Sword By Adam Lofthouse
I’m so happy to be welcoming Adam Lofthouse to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his latest book, Tribune and the Sword.
August. 383 AD. Flavius Maximus has declared himself emperor and crossed into Gaul. The civil war with Gratian has been short, and the rightful ruler of the West lies in an early grave.
Now two men face off across an empire. Theodosius in the east, his armies large but reliant on mercenaries. Maximus in the west, his forces small, but battle hardened and loyal to a fault.
In the middle of the chaos, at the heart of a dying world, two old friends march at the heads of opposing forces. Tribune Sixtus Victorinus fights for the West. Not out of loyalty to Maximus, but to his two sons who are bound by oath to fight for the pretender.
And General Gaius Felicius for the East. Outcasted by Maximus, he will stop at nothing to see the usurper toppled. But if his old friend stands in his path, is the road to vengeance still one he will choose to tread?
War is coming, and both men must look inside themselves and decide what is greater: the cause they fight for, or the bonds of fellowship. 🔥⚔️
*****
It was great to be invited onto the blog tour for Adam Lofthouse’s latest novel, Tribune and the Sword.
Adam Lofthouse has a real passion for the Romans and the Roman Empire and that shines through in his writing. The characters burst from the page into my mind, vidiv and powerful.
by A Moment With… Olivia Lockhart
It’s exciting to be welcoming Olivia Lockhart to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, No More Tomorrows.
Two eras. One aching heart.
1917 – At Cambridge University, American scholar Harry Turchin never expects to lose himself to desire. But Annie Mackenzie—soft-spoken, grieving, and luminous—claims his heart from their very first kiss. Their love is swift, fierce, and intoxicating. Married just days before Harry is sent to war, their passion is ripped apart when the trenches claim everything he knows, and Harry is thrown into a future that should not exist.
1967 – The free-spirited sixties are alive with rhythm, rebellion, and possibility. Harry awakens to a world he doesn’t recognise—and to Annalise Taylor, as bold and captivating as the era itself. Brilliant, independent, and achingly alive, she rouses a desire he thought belonged solely to the past.
Caught between the love he was ripped away from and the passion he cannot resist, Harry is torn between two women, two lives, and two versions of forever. Because time will not bend twice … Or will it?
Sweeping from the blood-soaked battlefields of World War One to the fevered nights of the swinging sixties, No More Tomorrows is a sensual time-slip romance about desire, devotion, and the devastating power of love that refuses to be bound by time.
To talk about the concept of No More Tomorrows, it’s over to you, Olivia.
Some of the best ideas for a book start with a little bit of scepticism.
That was certainly true for No More Tomorrows. Before we started writing it, I had never read a time-slip romance and hadn’t given the genre much thought at all. The idea actually came from my co-author, and when he first suggested it, I wasn’t entirely convinced.
But once we began writing, I quickly realised how much fun the concept could be.
by Book Club
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