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Ember Island
by
A riveting story of secrets and scandal
1890: Orphaned as a small child, Tilly Kirkland found a loving, safe home with her grandfather in Dorset. But nineteenth-century England is an unforgiving place for a young woman with limited means and as her grandfather's health fails, it seems perfect timing that she meets Jasper Dellafore. Yet her new husband is not all he seems. A ...more
1890: Orphaned as a small child, Tilly Kirkland found a loving, safe home with her grandfather in Dorset. But nineteenth-century England is an unforgiving place for a young woman with limited means and as her grandfather's health fails, it seems perfect timing that she meets Jasper Dellafore. Yet her new husband is not all he seems. A ...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
September 1st 2013
by Hachette
(first published August 20th 2013)
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Ember Island is a curl-up on your sofa book with a hot chocolate as readers are soon immersed in a heartfelt story written by bestselling author Kimberley Freeman. The author effortlessly goes between two stories beginning with Tilly Kirkland on her wedding day in 1891. Tilly is a vastly complex individual with a few character flaws, along with compassion and sensitivity towards others which eventually takes her down numerous paths of self destruction. Fast forward to the present day and we are
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Ember Island is written in two time periods. The first time period is 1890 where we meet Tilly Kirkland, who was orphaned as a young child, but she was lucky enough to encounter a loving home with her grandfather. Unfortunately, as time passes her loving grandfather's health starts deteriorating and Tilly will have to come to terms of being left on her own. That is until she meets Jasper Dellafore who turns her life around. She believes Jasper is the love of her life, but after marrying him she
...more
I had pretty low expectations for this book but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it! I always love it when a book flips between past and present, it just adds an extra something to the story for me. I found myself quite liking all the various characters as well, they each had special qualities that drew me to them. And to add to that, both storylines were excellent although I did enjoy the one from the past by far. It was way more exciting and I actually would have thoroughly enjoyed a book based
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In 1891, Tilly Kirkland grandfather dies and she marries Jasper Dellafore. Jasper dies by horrible circumstances leaving Tilly on the run. She changes her name and travels to Australia. Tilly becomes the governess to Nell, the daughter of Sterling Holt. He is the superintendent of Ember Island Government Facility (a prison). Nell keeps a diary, which she hides throughout Starwater House.
In 2012, Nina Jones is struggling to write her next book. She finds her great-grandmother's diary pages hidden ...more
In 2012, Nina Jones is struggling to write her next book. She finds her great-grandmother's diary pages hidden ...more
I get all excited when I hear a new Kimberley Freeman novel is due out. I know I’m in for a real page-turning delight, with a delicious mix of mystery, romance, history and family drama. These are books I like to clear some space for, because I know that once I pick one up I’m utterly compelled to keep on reading till the very end. ‘Ember Island’ was no exception. It weaves together the story of Tilly Kirkland, newly married to a man of secrets in the Channel Islands in 1890; and the story of be
...more
I so enjoyed this book - my second by Kimberley Freeman. It pulled me in from the very first page. It had a few twists that were absolutely as good as twists get. It is set in different eras and flows nicely but my favorite timeline is the 1890s era. The characters in that era are believable, strong and brave. The modern day story has some small coincidences that were a bit too good but they were very minor. A 4.5 star fabulous read!
To be a woman in the 1800’s had no "perks." Women were trained solely for marriage.
Tilly Kirkland was an 1800's woman and definitely didn't know what she was getting into when she married Jasper. Jasper offered her a beautiful home and a wonderful life. What Tilly was really offered was infidelity and cruelty. Who would blame Tilly for wanting to leave and start a new life somewhere else?
Tilly made her move to Ember Island to become a governess for Nell, but the secret she carried about th ...more
Nov 17, 2013
☼♄Jülie
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
All
Recommended to ☼♄Jülie by:
Kathy (Goodreads friend)
Absolutely loved it! Thanks to Goodreads member Kathy for recommending this book to me :)
Alternating between the late1800's in the English Channel Islands and the present day on an island in Moreton Bay Australia, this story flows seamlessly between the two eras as a family mystery is unravelled bit by bit at just the right intervals to keep the story flowing beautifully and captivate the readers' interest...all the time building to complete the mystery and describe it's relevance to present day ...more
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. This is the first time I've read anything by this author and I was pulled into the story right away.
It's a dual time line story. One story is set in the late 1800s and the other is modern day.
I think what I enjoyed the most was it was never predictable in my opinion. There were times I suspected blah was going to happen and I was wrong. There was a twist at the end I also did not expect.
It took me a while to read but only because I was reading it ...more
It's a dual time line story. One story is set in the late 1800s and the other is modern day.
I think what I enjoyed the most was it was never predictable in my opinion. There were times I suspected blah was going to happen and I was wrong. There was a twist at the end I also did not expect.
It took me a while to read but only because I was reading it ...more
This is a dual storyline book. In 1891 Tilly marries Jasper in England. The marriage doesn't get off to a good start and when it finally does start, bad things happen. Tilly has to leave and she ends up in Australia as governess to Nell. In 2012 we meetNell's great granddaughter, Nina, a successful author suffering from writer's block.
I do enjoy Freeman's books. This is my third by her and my favorite so far. It does suffer from the same problem I had with the previous two (Wildflower Hill and L ...more
I do enjoy Freeman's books. This is my third by her and my favorite so far. It does suffer from the same problem I had with the previous two (Wildflower Hill and L ...more
It seems a trend in novels these days to write from two time periods that somehow connect. This novel is no exception. It is told in two strands. One from 1890 tells the story of Matilda (Tilly) Kirkland. After the death of her grandfather, who has raised her since her parents died, Tilly discovers her husband Jasper is not the man she thought him to be. The other story takes place in 2012 with the story of author Nina who is struggling to turn her latest manuscript in on time. Both women end up
...more
LOVED ‘Ember Island’ by Kimberley Freeman – I think her best so far. Such a talented Australian author. An easy 5 stars for me – a book in which I just about lost my entire Sunday for!! Another dual time novel by Kimberley alternating between the 1800’s and 2012. I did like the historical period a little better – but just LOVED the entire book. This story is very compelling and once you pick it up be prepared to just devour it……FANtastic read and highly recommend. 5+++++
4.5★ Loved the setting on an island in Moreton Bay. This was one of those books that I wished I could just read without having to get on with the rest of my life!! I didn't quite buy into the plausibility of the resolution, hence the 4.5★ rather than 5★, but it was still a great story!
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Needing a great story to slip into and escape for a while, I was delighted to see that Kimberley Freeman's latest, Ember Island had downloaded on my Kindle. Loving Freeman's previous books, I couldn't wait to snuggle down with this one. Cup of tea: check; cushions to rest against: check; silence and no interruptions: check. Big sigh of contentment... open book... And....
Immediately, I was transported to Ember Island, a fictional place in Brisbane's Moreton Bay, and the struggles of international ...more
Though I’ve heard a lot about her alter-ego Kim Wilkins, Ember Island is the first Kimberley Freeman novel that I’ve picked up… and it won’t be the last. This is a very engaging novel that spans across two time-periods and examines the life of newleywed Tilly Kirland in the 1890s and bestselling novelist Nina Jones in 2012 who are both drawn to Starwater House on Ember Island.
In 1890, England, Tilly Kirkland is an orphan and at the end of her beloved grandfather’s life she marries Jasper Dellafo ...more
In 1890, England, Tilly Kirkland is an orphan and at the end of her beloved grandfather’s life she marries Jasper Dellafo ...more
Kimberly is able to hold a pencil!
This book is set mostly in Australia which was a bonus for me as long as descriptions were so clear that reminded me of my grandpa’s stories about his teenage life there
This well-paced novel is full of plot twists and a bit of mystery
Important moral: no matter how horrid truth may seem, truth isn’t so bad after all!
This book is set mostly in Australia which was a bonus for me as long as descriptions were so clear that reminded me of my grandpa’s stories about his teenage life there
This well-paced novel is full of plot twists and a bit of mystery
Important moral: no matter how horrid truth may seem, truth isn’t so bad after all!
Jul 03, 2018
Tiffany www.instagram.com/tiffs_bookshelf
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Kimberley Freeman writes a captivating story about two women seperated by history. Both of them are strong willed women who have survived tradegy and come out stronger on the other side. Tilly while taking care of her ailing grandfather meets and marries Jasper. A man who falsely presents himself to be rich and compassionate. She soon finds out this is not true and through circumstances not of her own fault soon finds herself on the run. Fast forward a couple of centuries to Nina a young writer
...more
Three characters, two historical and one modern day, are cleverly bonded together creating this compelling novel. In 2012, Nina, a bestselling author, retreats to Ember Island, Australia to oversee the roof repair on a manor house that once belonged to her grandmother. Suffering from writer’s block she decides to stay a while and concentrate on her next book. She finds old diary entries from 1891, written by her grandmother, Eleanor, hidden within the walls of the house.
In 1891 thirteen year ol ...more
In 1891 thirteen year ol ...more
Ember Island is the second novel I have read by Australian author Kimberley Freeman (I think it's safe to say I am a convert now, and I am in the process of hunting down all her older books to add to my collection). Set on the fictional Ember Island, it features a dual storyline involving two women from different time periods - Tilly Kirkland, a 19th Century governess, and Nina Jones, a 21st Century novel-writer. Both women are dealing with emotional scars which seem set to plague them until the
...more
I absolutely loved "Wildflower Hill" and when I stumbled across this book at my local library, I just grabbed it off the shelf. I am so glad that I did because the author delighted me with this tale of two women separated by centuries but are tied together by secrets and an ancestral Australian home.
Once again, it was the story of yesterday that really consumed my attention and I greedily turned each page wanting more. The ending although satisfying left me with a lot of "I wonder what happens ...more
Once again, it was the story of yesterday that really consumed my attention and I greedily turned each page wanting more. The ending although satisfying left me with a lot of "I wonder what happens ...more
It was an amazing book with lovable characters, a quest for redemption and a fiery island in the end of the world. Ember Island reveals many secrets about a not-so-distant era and provokes thinking about the position of woman in society. What I like most in Freeman's books is the depth of the plots and the vivid storytelling.
If you do like Ember Island, I most heartily suggest The Wildflower Hill, also by her. ...more
If you do like Ember Island, I most heartily suggest The Wildflower Hill, also by her. ...more
Well, not perfect but who cares, it worked wonderfully to me and I wish I had more pages to read.
I'm sure it will stay with me for some time! ...more
I'm sure it will stay with me for some time! ...more
A very nice read with interesting characters...
Separated by time but linked by their relationship to Nell, Tilly and Nina both have secrets that, from their perspective, are too horrible to share. Carrying the burden of their guilt they sabotage everything good in their lives in their struggle for redemption. Their despair escalates and they both sacrifice love to atone for their past misdeeds until at last the truth is revealed, ultimately freeing them. I found it interesting that the women discover, once the truth is revealed, other people
...more
In a nutshell, this book is a tale of three women whose lives are intrinsically linked through a geographical location: Ember Island - not entirely surprising considering the title of the book. There are many positive aspects of this book – enjoyable narrative, interesting plot, female focused, multi-faceted characters – yet I find myself hesitant to give this book 5 starts. I’ve decided that the reason for this is that, many of the things I enjoyed about this book give rise to a few of the thin
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If this had only been about Tilly and Nell, my rating would have been much higher. Their story was wonderful and fascinating, even when Tilly was being an annoying cow about things. I truly enjoyed their segments of the book, especially Nell's diaries and just her general character. She was seriously awesome. If this book had only been their story, it would have been an easy 4 star review.
However, Nina's story has me seeing red! I cannot STAND her part of this story for multiple reasons, but mos ...more
However, Nina's story has me seeing red! I cannot STAND her part of this story for multiple reasons, but mos ...more
Liked this one more than I thought I would. I love Kim Wilkins writing, but had never strayed into Kimberley Freeman/contemporary women's fiction area. Kind of liked the historical storyline better and liked that she didn't swap and change between storylines too often - which gives the reader time to get absorbed in the story. Saw the parallel between the two stories, but didn't think it was as strong as it might have been. Overall, a very engaging read. will have to hunt down the other Kimberle
...more
wow...what a book I have been waiting for & so looking forward to reading this book & I can happily say it was as good as I had hoped for & a fantastic read would thoroughly recommend this book & will be giving it to my mother to read asap as I know she will love it too.
Loved, loved, loved! Review to come...
I loved this book - and would definitely like to read more of Freeman's (Wilkins) work.
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| Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish | 1 | 3 | Mar 03, 2015 10:13AM |
Readers also enjoyed
Pen name of Kim Wilkins.
Kimberley was born in London and her family moved back to Australia when she was three years old. She grew up in Queensland where she currently lives.
Kimberley has written for as long as she can remember and she is proud to write in many genres. She is an award-winning writer in children’s, historical and speculative fiction under her birth name Kim Wilkins. She adopted the ...more
Kimberley was born in London and her family moved back to Australia when she was three years old. She grew up in Queensland where she currently lives.
Kimberley has written for as long as she can remember and she is proud to write in many genres. She is an award-winning writer in children’s, historical and speculative fiction under her birth name Kim Wilkins. She adopted the ...more
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