Under the Golden Sun: A Novel

by Jenny Ashcroft, Olivia Dowd (Read by)

Overview

A "remarkable novel of family and love during a time of war,"* Jenny Ashcroft's Under the Golden Sun follows a soul-searching young woman who takes a leap of faith and discovers a place to call home and someone to share her heart.

England, 1941. The world is at war. London is under siege as the German blitz pounds the city without warning, without mercy. Rose Hamilton did her part as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force until she was unfairly discharged following a tragic loss. Working as a secretary on a Devon farmland, Rose is out of harm’s way, but she needs to contribute to something greater than herself to truly recover.

Answering a newspaper advertisement for a companion to accompany an orphaned child to Australia, Rose becomes enchanted with four-year-old Walter Lucknow. Shy, imaginative, and kind, the boy lost his parents and has been living in near seclusion with his elder great aunt. As heir to a wealthy Australian cattle station, Walter must return to his homeland and his mother’s family.

Leaving her own family—and fiancé—Rose braves the long, dangerous voyage across Pacific waters where war is imminent to see Walter safely home. But upon arrival, Rose learns the truth about Walter’s relationship to the Lucknows and the land he’s supposed to inherit, a truth that haunts the boy’s Uncle Max, a wounded pilot scarred inside and out. And as Max opens his heart up to Walter, Rose is drawn to the man’s strength and compassion, finding herself torn between returning to England and staying with the child and man she’s grown to love.

*New York Times bestselling author Karen White

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250837769
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	03/15/2022
Product dimensions:	1.00(w) x 1.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

JENNY ASHCROFT is a British author of historical fiction books including Meet Me in Bombay. She has a degree from Oxford University in history, and has always been fascinated by the past—in particular the way that extraordinary events can transform the lives of normal people.

Editorial Reviews

01/24/2022

Ashcroft (Meet Me in Bombay) offers an enticing story of a young Englishwoman’s path toward self-discovery. Rose Hamilton is traveling by train from her home in Devon to London during WWII when she sees an advertisement seeking someone to escort a young child to Australia. Needing a change after having a miscarriage and being discharged from the air force for being unmarried and pregnant, Rose, who is engaged to a perennially noncommittal American press correspondent named Xander, answers the advertisement. Vivian Barnes needs someone to travel with her late great-niece Mabel’s son, four-year-old Walter Lucknow, as Vivian is dying from cancer. Together, Rose and Walter journey by ship to Australia and travel to the cattle station that Walter has inherited, which Mabel’s brother-in-law, Max, a pilot seriously wounded in the war, will hold in trust until Walter is 21. Max and his sister, Esme, however, are extremely unwelcoming. Rose’s reluctance to leave Walter and return to England is complicated by an unexpected romance with Max, as well as the untimely arrival of Xander. Ashcroft enlivens the plot with an expertly crafted set of characters. For fans of WWII-era historicals, this will hit the spot. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Jenny Ashcroft is my new favorite author. Her meticulous research folds neatly and expertly into the story, and her eye for detail and beautiful writing creates an unforgettable book. The characters are flawed, compelling, and worthy of carrying this remarkable novel of family and love during a time of war. I didn't want it to end, and now that I'm done, I feel as if I've just traveled to Australia for a long visit with dear friends and am ready to read it again and again. The author has a way of ripping out the reader's heart, and then carefully placing it back with her skilled hands. I loved every page!" —Karen White, New York Times bestselling author

"Historical fiction fans will enjoy this lush, captivating saga with fascinating characters whose lives are far from ideal but are only a minute and a step away from perfect.” —Library Journal

"An enticing story of a young Englishwoman’s path toward self-discovery. Ashcroft enlivens the plot with an expertly crafted set of characters. For fans of WWII-era historicals, this will hit the spot." —Publishers Weekly

"An epic story of hope and heartbreak, exquisitely written. I raced through it, but didn't want it to end." —Iona Grey, award-winning author of The Glittering Hour

"A deeply touching, delicious, slow burn of a love affair." —Dinah Jefferies, bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife

"Gorgeous! Under The Golden Sun is a wonderfully poignant novel, full of heart and hope and memorable characters you won't want to leave. Ashcroft writes with the perfect blend of elegance and emotional punch, and her depiction of rural Australia is thoroughly transportive. A perfect summer read." —Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter

"Under the Golden Sun is a sweeping love story with a huge heart. Gorgeously written and utterly absorbing. Ashcroft fans are in for a real treat." —Emma Rous, USA Today bestselling author of Au Pair

"What wonderful, utterly engaging storytelling. Under the Golden Sun transported me, like its heroine Rosie, to exciting, sun-filled places in the company of intriguing characters I never wanted to leave." —Liz Trenow, New York Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Seamstress

"Under the Golden Sun brings a mixed bag of emotions for the reader which kept me turning the pages, and left me with a satisfying ending. It's a story of love in its various forms, with the powerful pull of promises made, trust broken and well-kept secrets. Happy to recommend." —Glynis Peters, USA Today bestselling author of The Secret Orphan

"I was swept away by this sumptuous story of love and belonging set in glorious Australia. A compelling read full of love, hope, loss and heartbreak, and characters I won't forget. Jenny Ashcroft is a marvellous storyteller and I loved this book." —Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow

"A story that will grab your heart, squeeze it and won’t let it go until the poignant and emotional end." —Louise Fein, author of Daughter of the Reich

"With characters that spring from the page, and descriptions so vivid you can feel the heat of the Australian sun on your skin, this is a novel to lose yourself in. Just gorgeous!" —Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author

"A triangular love story...Beautifully written..." —Adrienne Chin, USA Today bestselling author of The English Wife

"Vivid and lyrical, this epic love story completely enchanted and transported me. Unforgettably poignant, Rose's story is spellbinding yet utterly real." —Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You

From the Publisher

02/01/2022

The World War II era is common in historical fiction, but the Pacific theater setting of Ashcroft's (Meet Me in Bombay) novel makes the story stand out. In 1941, Rose Hamilton, a young Englishwoman, takes a job accompanying Walter, an orphaned child, from his home in England to Australia, his mother's homeland. They travel through war-threatened waters to reach their destination, a cattle station. There, Rose discovers that things are not what she was led to expect. The station, run by Max Lucknow, Walter's uncle, is a place full of unknowns and new adventures. The Lucknow family is the complicated key to Walter's long-term well-being, and perhaps Rose's happiness as well. Readers may need some time to adjust to the author's meandering, stream-of-consciousness writing. The story takes a while to build, laying background for Rose and picking up once the trip to Australia begins. Rose's relationships with Walter and her family will tug at readers' heartstrings, while her relationships with everyone else provide intrigue, frustration, hope, and joy. VERDICT Historical fiction fans will enjoy this lush, captivating saga with fascinating characters whose lives are far from ideal but are only a minute and a step away from perfect.—Riley Moreland

Library Journal