The Missionary's Wife by Claire McGregor Book Review

This novel is based on a true story of Presbyterian missionaries from Canada, who in 1871 travelled to the South Pacific to spread Christianity.

The story is told from Annetta's perspective as she accompanies her new husband, John Stewart, a missionary, to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu). She wants to be considered a missionary in her own right, not just a help meet for John, but to be able to express her opinions and be heard. Leaving behind her close-knit family in Nova Scotia, not knowing when she will see them again, if ever, is a great wrench.

On the quayside before embarkation, she is already having doubts about her choice, mainly whether she will be strong enough to cope with what lies ahead, especially when she learns of the hardships the women confront and the brutal deaths of the missionaries their party will replace.

Annetta describes life on the island of Erakor, from their welcome and the many challenges and dangers she, her husband and the islanders face. Some of the islanders embrace Christianity readily, some resist, while others are reluctant to give up their customs and traditions completely. Together they battle the weather, disease, and other crises, reliant only on themselves.

News from the outside world and their supplies come by ship, but not all ships are welcome. The constant threat of the labour ships, enticing or kidnapping men to work on the sugar plantations in Fiji and Australia, and the consequences, overshadows the idyllic life on the island that Annetta slowly grows accustomed to.

I liked how Annetta and John were depicted, not as 'fire and brimstone' preachers, but moderate in their dealings with the islanders, being gentle, patient and respectful, although Annetta is more liberal in her thinking than John when it comes to the traditions and customs of the islanders. I also liked how Annetta gained in confidence and was willing to set aside some of the staid Victorian ways of her upbringing.

There are joyful and sad moments in this novel and I wasn't prepared for the ending, but it was a wonderful journey into the past, showcasing its ugliness and its beauty, and a catalyst for me to further explore the history of the area.

My thanks to Claire McGregor for providing a review copy.