BOOK REVIEW/BLOG TOUR + INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY: Child of Love & Water by D. K. Marley

Publication Date: October 19, 2018
The White Rabbit Publishing
eBook; 291 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

The year is 1722. A child is born on the isolated island of Ospo off the Georgia coast. In the midst of General Oglethorpe's vision for this new land, and the emerging townships of Frederica and Savannah, four lives entwine together on this island like the woven fronds in a sea-grass basket - the orphaned Irish girl born free of hate or prejudice, a war-ravaged British
soldier seeking forgiveness and absolution, a runaway Gullah slave girl desperate for a word of kindness on the wind, and a Creek Indian warrior searching for answers about this intrusion onto his homeland. What they learn from this wild innocent girl, and from each other, will change their lives forever.

A new birth, a new country, and the elements - Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth - entwine to teach one thing: Love conquers all. Love sees beyond borders. There is no ignorance in love.

My Thoughts

This is a beautifully told story of a child, Muirin, raised on an isolated island by her widowed mother, taught to love not hate, and live "... free from the world, from the vices, greed, hatred and anger of men ...”. Witnesses to Muirin’s dramatic birth during a storm spread the tale the island is inhabited by a witch or bad spirit and, therefore, cursed. For twenty years, these rumours protect their idyllic life, but after the death of her mother necessity forces Muirin to visit the town of Berrimacke. Here she first meets Ruha, the runaway Gullah slave girl and Lieutenant Aidan Sutherland, and is exposed to the hatred, distrust and superstition that her mother protected her from so well.

Aidan, the aristocratic soldier, is conditioned from birth to follow a military career like his male ancestors before him. Anger, hatred and bloodshed dominate his life. When he meets Muirin, he feels a connection that draws him to the island and her company. Ruha, the runaway slave girl, also finds safety on the island with Muirin, but Muirin cannot answer Ruha's questions, nor those of Ekana, the Creek warrior, whose people once lived on the island.

When Aidan encounters Ruha and Ekana on the island with Muirin, he is hostile towards them. His superiority as an aristocrat, soldier and white man evident in his manner. Eventually, Muirin convinces him to set aside his prejudices and listen to their stories, to answer their questions and also to share with them his story.

All three know from experience that the world is a dangerous place and that Muirin is not equipped to deal with the inevitable changes coming in the foreseeable future, however fearless and accepting she is. So, Aidan protects her in the only way he can and offers Ruha and Ekana a more secure future by an act of kindness that takes them all by surprise.

This truly is a lovely story. While religious intolerance, bigotry, slavery and colonisation are some of the uglier aspects of the plot, D.K. Marleys eloquence also creates wonderful images of Muirin's island. It is easy to envisage the magic and serenity of her world and the affect it, and she, has on Ruha, Aidan and Ekana.

I'm not often moved to tears, but the ending of this wonderful novel had me reaching for the tissue box. While the romantic in me would have liked a different ending, the impact of this novel would have been diminished if the author had gone down that path. Those that have read Child of Love and Water will understand my cryptic thoughts. For those that haven't and are fans of historical fiction offering a unique and memorable storyline, I recommend this book to you.

Child of Love and Water is available on Amazon

About the Author

D. K. Marley is a historical fiction writer specializing in Shakespearean themes. Her grandmother, an English Literature teacher, gave her a volume of Shakespeare's plays when she was eleven, inspiring DK to delve further into the rich Elizabethan language. Eleven years ago she began the research leading to the publication of her first novel "Blood and Ink," an epic tale of lost dreams, spurned love, jealousy and deception in Tudor England as the two men, William Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe, fight for one name and the famous works now known as the Shakespeare Folio. She is an avid Shakespearean / Marlowan, a member of the Marlowe Society, the Shakespeare Fellowship and a signer of the Declaration of Intent for the Shakespeare Authorship Debate. She has traveled to England three times for intensive research and debate workshops, and is a graduate of the intense training workshop "The Writer's Retreat Workshop" founded by Gary Provost and hosted by Jason Sitzes. She lives in Georgia with her husband and Scottish Terriers named Maggie and Buster.

For more information, please visit D.K. Marley's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, November 12 Review at Gwendalyn's Books	Wednesday, November 13 Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Thursday, November 14 Review at Books and Zebras	Saturday, November 16 Review at Reading is My Remedy
Tuesday, November 19 Excerpt at Books In Their Natural Habitat	Thursday, November 21 Review at @ya.its.lit
Friday, November 22 Review at Nursebookie	Sunday, November 24 Review at A Darn Good Read
Tuesday, November 26 Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads	Thursday, November 28 Review at Coffee and Ink
Friday, November 29 Review at Al-Alhambra Interview at Jathan & Heather

Giveaway (International)

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Child of Love and Water by D.K.Marley! To enter, please use the Gleam form HERE.

Giveaway Rules
- Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
- Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
- Only one entry per household.
- All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
- The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.