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Title details for A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira - Wait list

A Wild and Heavenly Place

by Robin Oliveira
Angus King
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How far would you go? How much would you risk?
Hailey MacIntyre seems conjured from the depths of Samuel Fiddes’s loneliness. Caring for his young sister in the tenements of Glasgow, Scotland, Samuel has known only hunger, while Hailey has never known want. Yet, when Samuel saves Hailey’s brother from a runaway carriage, their connection is undeniable.
Through secret meetings and stolen moments, their improbable love grows. But then the City of Glasgow Bank fails, and Hailey’s bankrupt father impulsively moves their family across the globe to Seattle, a city rumored to have coal in its hills and easy money for anyone willing to work for it.
Samuel is haunted by Hailey’s parting words: Remember, Washington Territory. Armed only with his wits, he determines to follow her, leaving behind everything he has ever known in search of Hailey and the chance of a better life for his sister. But the fledgling town barely cut out of the wilderness holds its own secrets and will test them all in ways unimaginable.
Poignant and lyrical, A Wild and Heavenly Place is an ode to the Pacific Northwest, to those courageous enough to chase the American Dream, and to a love so powerful it endures beyond distance, beyond hope.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 13, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593826645
      • File size: 368234 KB
      • Duration: 12:47:09

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 6, 2023
      Oliveira (My Name Is Mary Sutter) sets this middling melodrama of lovelorn Scots against the backdrop of Seattle’s rapid rise in the 1880s. It’s love at first sight when apprentice shipbuilder Samuel Fiddes and well-to-do Hailey MacIntyre lock eyes on a Glasgow street in 1879. Unfortunately, Hailey’s stern parents disapprove of impoverished Samuel, forcing the two would-be lovers to see each other in secret. When Hailey’s father loses his fortune, he upends his family and moves to Seattle, where he has a new job prospect. Samuel refuses to give up on Hailey and works passage on a ship bound for America. Arriving in Seattle, he finally tracks her down, but he’s too late. Her family’s fortunes have taken another downturn, forcing Hailey into a loveless marriage with a local laborer, who treats her cruelly. As the years pass and Samuel tries to figure out a way to win back Hailey from her abusive husband, the city grows around them. This has the sweep of an old-fashioned romantic epic, but Oliveira’s narrative is undone by too many coincidences, predictable plot twists, and outlandish villains. These ardent young lovers deserve a better story. Agent: Marly Rusoff, Marly Rusoff Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrators Angus King, Katy Townsend, and Tavia Gilbert excel at telling this powerful story. In 1878 Scotland, Samuel saves Hailey's brother, sparking a secret romance despite their class differences. When Hailey's father's financial downfall forces her family to emigrate to Seattle, Samuel sets off to find her. Against the backdrop of Washington Territory, their story illustrates the era's survival challenges. King gives Samuel's story a heartfelt cadence, while Townsend infuses Hailey's narrative with passion. Her portrayal of Mrs. MacIntyre is vivid and almost shrill, adding depth to the character, and her rendition of James is equally nuanced. Gilbert relays the author's note, elucidating the historical accuracy of the novel's events and describing Oliveira's creative process. S.K.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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