Customer Reviews

This Desired Place: The Isles of Shoals

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ms. Older's This Desired Place: The Isles of Shoals is a beautifully written historical novel that will whisk you back into the 17th century. The author's gorgeous use of the period's sayings and accents immediately enveloped me in the warmth of her words and the images she created. The detail built on obvious extensive research filled me with the smells, sounds and sights of the journey that the main character, Thom Taylor, undertook. I felt like I walked along beside him, enraptured by the horror of the pirates' debauchery, the cruelty of the Indian slaughters and the repulsive scents of rotting fish stew. Books are often described as a momentary escape from reality. I can think of no better example of this than This Desired Place. Treat yourself and venture back to the Isles of Shoals with Ms. Older and her characters. The past has never seemed so rich.

The second novel a trilogy by award-winning writer Julia Older, This Desired Place: The Isles of Shoals is set amid New England's Isles of Shoals during the colonial era of Puritans, pirates, and warfare with Indian tribes. Following a former indentured servant as he's pressed into militia service, barely escapes an Indian massacre, and later, sets under Captain Phips to salvage sunken gold - only to have the trip take a vicious plunge into mutiny, piracy, and testimony for a ruthless trial ablaze with hanging fever. A rollicking adventure from cover to cover, evocative of a bygone era. Also highly recommended is the previous Shoals novel, "The Island Queen".

'This Desired Place' thoroughly immerses the reader in the raucous heyday of 17th century New England life on the Islands. At the same time, Thom Taylor's concerns spoke to me as directly as the plight of anyone I know today. Rarely have I read a book that evokes the sensations of place so viscerally. The history and politics of the era form the backbone of the book, and Older's love of the language of the time provides the poetry.

I was delighted to discover such a vigorous and moving historical novel, and look forward to reading Older's other works.

I'm surprised to see the 5 star reviews of this book. The description made it sound like something I would like--life on an island with a historical bent. Tried several times to get through the book and could not. If you love well-written literature, you might want to look further. I found both the writing and the themes cliched. Two stars is simply because I admire anyone who can make a living writing.