Book Review: Far Horizons by Kate Hewitt

Far Horizons
Book One of The Emigrants Trilogy

Author: Kate Hewitt
File Size: 522 KB
Print Length: 241 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Amazon Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Kate Hewitt. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Far Horizons is the first book to The Emigrants Trilogy. The book is about the love story of Allan MacDougal and Harriet Campbell. The premise of the story is based on true events while all other are just tales the author wove to make it more appealing for the readers. Allan and Harriet (ancestors of the author) got engaged just hours before Allan's family sailed from Scotland to Canada to start a new life. Allan's father, Sandy MacDougal thought it was dishonorable for Allan to ask Harriet to wait for him so Sandy insisted that Allan set Harriet free. Allan then returned Harriet's letters when he's already at the port waiting for their ship to Canada. This made Harriet feel Allan is not sure of his feelings for her. What would you do if your significant other went away, promised to return and marry you but you received nothing from him/her for years. No calls, no letters, nothing that would assure you that someone is still keeping the promise he/she made the last time you talked? 

If you are in an LDR (long distance romance) situation, this book is totally relatable. I've been in that situation decades ago and it was that hard. It was hard to wait for someone who's oceans away. It was even harder for Allan and Harriet because they were just not oceans away, imagine LDR without phones? Letters can only be sent through a ship that sails for months. Letters are delivered and can only be picked-up in ports? Reading this book made my heart ache, every page is truly heart breaking especially the first quarter of the story.  I loved how the author described Scotland and Canada in 1819. The settings of the story surely enticed me to finish the book quickly.

Far Horizons is a great historical romance novel, I look forward to reading the second book. Highly recommended for book readers looking for a great series to start.


About the book:

The Highlands of Scotland, 1819: On the eve of his departure for the New World, Allan MacDougall asks his beloved Harriet to wait for his return, when he will be established and able to marry her. When his father discovers his intent he insists it is dishonourable, and so Allan must free Harriet from her promise even as he vows to remain faithful himself. Through years of hardship, heartache, tragedy, and betrayal, Allan and Harriet cling to the love that first brought them together--yet it is the treacherous doubts of their own hearts that could prove to be their undoing, and drive them farther apart than ever. 

Far Horizons is a sweeping saga of that will take you from the Highlands of Scotland to the untamed Canadian wilderness and the bustling streets of Boston. Based on actual events, it celebrates the strength of a promise and the enduring power of love. Written by USA Today bestselling author Kate Hewitt, and Book One of The Emigrants Trilogy.

About the author:

Kate Hewitt wrote her first story at the age of five, simply because her older brother had written one and she thought she could do it too. That story was one sentence long--fortunately, her fiction has become a bit more detailed as she's grown older.

Although she was raised in Pennsylvania, she spent summers and holidays at her family's cottage in rural Ontario, Canada picking raspberries, making maple syrup, and pretending to be a pioneer. Now her children are enjoying roaming the same wilderness, with a few additional modern comforts (like TV!).

She studied drama in college and shortly after graduation moved to New York City to pursue a career in theatre. This was derailed by something far better--meeting the man of her dreams who happened also to be her older brother's childhood friend.

Ten days after their wedding they moved to England, where Kate worked a variety of different jobs--drama teacher, editorial assistant, church youth worker, secretary, and finally mother.

When her oldest daughter was one year old, she sold her first short story to a British magazine, 'The People's Friend'. Since then she has written many stories and serials as well as novels. In 2007 she received 'The Call' for her first Harlequin Presents romance, The Italian's Chosen Wife. Since then she has written over twenty romances for Harlequin, and several historical novels through Hale Books and Amazon Digital Services.

Besides writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, and learning to knit--it's an ongoing process and she's made a lot of scarves.

Kate lives in a tiny village on the northwest coast of England with her husband, four children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever. She loves to hear from readers--visit her website www.kate-hewitt.com or you can contact her at katehewitt@kate-hewitt.com.

Thursday Trailer: True Blood - Who Is Your Maker???

True Blood Season 5 premieres Sunday, June 10th.

Loved this trailer! Who is your maker? Who made you watch all True Blood episodes from seasons 1 - 5? I was thinking Bill is my maker. Maybe in the books, loved Bill better than Eric but in the TV series, definitely, Eric is MY maker!

Book Review: Helen Keller In Love by Rosie Sultan

Helen Keller In Love


Author: Rosie Sultan
Hardbound: 256 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult (April 26, 2012)
Amazon Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the publisher, Viking Adult. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings:  ★ ★ ★


My thoughts:


This is a novel based on Helen Keller's life. Though based on true story, the author wove a tale about Ms. Keller's life with the man she once loved, Peter Fagan.


It's been a while since the last time I read something based on a true story. I knew Ms. Keller's life story but nothing about her man, Peter Fagan. I didn't know she never married or maybe that part was intentionally omitted in history. Based on what I understand in the story, her teacher and her mother thought a disabled person (she was deaf and blind) should not marry. Poor Ms. Keller, never had the chance to experience having a family of her own.


While the story is interesting, I had issues concerning with the author's tale about Ms. Keller's life. Her instant attraction to Peter Fagan and "playful" dialogue made it seem unbelievable. The dialogue seemed too vulgar, highly unlikely to be her in my opinion. The book is narrated by Ms. Keller but often I get confused on the dialogue of some of the characters in the book. She was deaf and blind but in the book, it's like she can hear about all conversations going on around her. The flow of the story is continuous, most of the time I would forget that she's deaf and blind.  And then when I remember it, I would be confused with the whole narration. It was a challenging story to write for the author, but I have to admit that since this was my first time to read something with a deaf and blind character, there were too much complications in reading this. 


About the book:


A captivating novel that explores the little-known romance of a beloved American icon


Helen Keller has long been a towering figure in the pantheon of world heroines. Yet the enduring portrait of her in the popular imagination is The Miracle Worker, which ends when Helen is seven years old.


Rosie Sultan’s debut novel imagines a part of Keller’s life she rarely spoke of or wrote about: the man she once loved. When Helen is in her thirties and Annie Sullivan is diagnosed with tuberculosis, a young man steps in as a private secretary. Peter Fagan opens a new world to Helen, and their sensual interactions—signing and lip-reading with hands and fingers—quickly set in motion a liberating, passionate, and clandestine affair. It’s not long before Helen’s secret is discovered and met with stern disapproval from her family and Annie. As pressure mounts, the lovers plot to elope, and Helen is caught between the expectations of the people who love her and her most intimate desires.


Richly textured and deeply sympathetic, Sultan’s highly inventive telling of a story Keller herself would not tell is both a captivating romance and a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of an inspirational figure.


About the author:

Rosie Sultan won a PEN Discovery Award for fiction. She earned her MFA at Goddard College and was a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has taught writing at Boston University, the University of Massachusetts, and Suffolk University. She lives with her husband and son outside of Boston, Massachusetts.