Great Water, Big Sea

by Esther Schultz

In 1855, when Tuva agrees to marry Isak Nilsson—a man she hardly knows—she fears this will be her life’s only adventure. When her new husband gifts her passage on a ship bound for America as a wedding present, it changes the course of her entire future.

The newlyweds sail to the Territory of Minnesota, where they join the rest of the Nilsson family. They’ve barely settled in when they lose everything in a fire, forcing the Nilsson clan to evaluate their plans.

Upon hearing of copper farther north, the family decides to start over along the banks of Lake Superior. Tuva immediately falls in love with this wild land and the great water it rests on. An unexpected friendship with an Ojibwa woman helps Tuva understand that respect for both is key to survival and prosperity.

As Tuva struggles to find her place in her new family, a brutal attack, tragedy, and war threaten to destroy her marriage and all they are trying to build. Tuva must discover her courage, strength, and love to create the legacy she and Isak dream of to keep the family together, or this place could destroy her and all she holds dear.

382 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2022

Reviews

[Megz Elizabeth]

The idea/concept of the book would earn more stars if it weren't for how mismatched the writing seemed with the topics at hand. The topics were interesting and heavy but the writing itself was quite simple and juvenile. The characters were poorly developed which made it difficult to really feel invested in the outcomes. The dialogue pieces, which were quite a lot, were written very poorly. Much of the dialogue seemed to end with an excessive amount of "xxx said." I also felt like the descriptions of the setting were lacking. These criticisms are why I rated this book at just 3 stars.

I do think this book has a lot of incredible potential. It's written in a time period that not a lot of books are written on and in an area of the country that is so beautiful and has so much amazing history. The challenges the characters face are so relevant to that time. If this book was written with
more complex writing, better dialogue, more descriptive scenes, and better character development I would have rated it much higher and would continue on with this series.

[Denise Hauge]

The narrative of the book, including letters written back home to Sweden, kept my attention and made me want to keep turning the pages of this novel. The main character, Tuva, demonstrates the power of loving always and including everyone even when others doesn’t understand. I can’t wait to read the next books in this series when they become available!

[Joan]

Enjoyed the story line but felt a lot of redundancy in the emotions and descriptions.