In a tropical paradise torn apart by civil war, a young girl embarks on a life—changing journey of discovery in this captivating story of love and survival.
Kenya, 1948:
Sixteen—year—old Jasmine Barrington is desperately unhappy at her strict convent school and longs to return to the beautiful island of Penang in British colonial Malaya, where she was born.
When the school expels her, Jasmine's luck changes as she's sent home to Penang to stay with old friends and help care for their little girl. Back among the lush rubber plantations, azure sea and sultry beaches Jasmine's heart soars again and she throws herself into her newfound passion for art, carrying her sketchbook and pencils everywhere in her satchel, losing track of time as she tries to capture the beauty of her surroundings.
But Penang is far from the safe haven she left behind as a young child after her plantation—owner father's death, and Jasmine's life is soon in terrible danger as she's caught up in the turmoil of civil war. The solace she finds in painting helps to soothe her heartache as her homeland is torn apart by the fighting – until the discovery of a shocking secret about her father's past changes everything.
In this heart—wrenching historical novel, the tragedy of civil war and the uncovering of long—held family secrets combine to alter the course of a young girl's life forever. A gripping and emotional story for fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and Kristin Hannah.