Have you read this new book by Ilima Todd called A Song for the Stars? If you haven’t let me just tell you…..this book…sigh….this book was SOOOO good! Now I want to go read all of Ilima Todd’s books! Having just been to Hawaii a couple of months ago I was excited when I saw the cover of this book. The culture of Hawaii has always fascinated me and now after reading this book it makes me love it even more. This book is based on a true story of John Harbottle and Papapaunauapu (AKA Maile in the story). In this book she combines two stories to makes it a historical fiction because they didn’t happen at the same time, she weaves the stories into a beautiful book. This book makes you want to keep reading. It was one I didn’t want to put down!!
I recommend this book to anyone that loves Proper Romances! Here is a little more about the book.
Synopsis:
Inspired by a true story
Hawaiian Islands, 1779
As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile will be permitted to marry for love. Her fiancé is the best navigator in Hawaii, and he taught her everything he knows—how to feel the ocean, observe the winds, read the stars, and how to love.
But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed.
Finding herself in the middle of the battle and fearing for her life, Maile takes John Harbottle, the wounded man who killed her fiancé, prisoner, and though originally intending to let him dies, she reluctantly heals him. And in the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead.
John has been Captain James Cook’s translator for three voyages across the Pacific. He is kind and clearly fascinated with Maile’s homeland and her people—and Maile herself. But guilt continues to drive a wedge between them: John’s guilt over the death he caused, and Maile’s guilt over the truth about what triggered the deadly battle—a secret she’s kept hidden from everyone on the island.
When Maile is tasked with teaching John how to navigate using the stars so he can sail back to England, they must also navigate the challenges of being from very different cultures. In doing so, they might also find the peace that comes when two hearts become one.
