The Land of the Long White Cloud Saga: An Epic Tale of Love and Adventure

Pam: My book club selection this month

United States on Aug 29, 2023

Gayle: I found myself to be confused in several places in this book. Some times it was because because of the characters. So I just read on until it became clearer. I did enjoy the storyline and characters.

United States on Aug 21, 2023

Gema: A riveting tale with wonderful descriptions of the Land in New Zealand. Great characters and customs described. It held my interest and I look forward to Book 2 of the series. Great read. Thank you Ms. Lark! Gema

United States on Aug 20, 2023

Alison Bieber: I have read all of Sarah Lark's trilogies that are set in colonial New Zealand, including this one. I love historical fiction and found these trilogies great. I recommend reading them all.

Australia on Aug 17, 2023

Kindle Customer: A great storyline, ideal if you want a long read

United Kingdom on Aug 16, 2023

Lynn W.: Loved the families involved in this book, I never wanted to finish it. Lots of twists & turns , great that James Mackenzie came back for the love of his life. Looking forward to reading the next saga.

United Kingdom on Aug 02, 2023

Chasqui Penguin: This is the first novel I have read by Sarah Lark and am very impressed. The characters, scenery and action throughout are all well described and easy to imagine as the story unfolds, and I found myself thinking ahead to the future of the Warden and O’Keefe families on New Zealand's South Island. Sometimes I was right, but often a surprising development was sprung, so it made for a riveting read throughout.

Of course, much credit can be given to the translator as well as the author. My only reservation is that it has not been “translated” from US to UK English as the phraseology, especially within the dialogue, would then be more plausible in a 19th century setting with many British immigrants as the main and subordinate characters. However, this is a small point and did not detract from my enjoyment of the book, and I have just added “Song of the Spirits” to my Kindle.

United Kingdom on Jan 27, 2023

A Brutal Review: In the Land of the Long White Cloud

The Anglican Church in Christchurch, New Zealand is seeking decent young women, well versed in house-keeping and child rearing, interested in entering into a Christian marriage with highly esteemed, well-situated members of our congregation.

Meet Helen, who is in her late 20s and a despondent governess to a wealthy London family. She's a great teacher but she wants a family of her own. Finding a partner in England though is difficult, as she has no dowry. She has been working to support her two useless brother's for years. As she reads the notice advertising for New Zealand brides, she starts to dream of her ideal gentleman farmer husband.

Gwyneira comes from a different background. She is the youngest daughter of a wealthy nobleman... Well, perhaps not so wealthy because her dowry is not large enough to overlook her outgoing (but otherwise unladylike) attitude. When faced with the opportunity to emigrate to New Zealand as the fiance to the only child of a wealthy sheep baron, she envisions the cowboy of her dreams and an adventure of a lifetime.

A rather mundane, hopeless romance set up, don't you think?

This...

United States on Jun 14, 2016

Heather Pearson: Women didn't have a lot of choice in the direction of their lives in mid nineteenth century England. Helen Davenport was working as a tutor when a notice in her church bulletin led her to accept a marriage proposal to an unknown sheep farmer in New Zealand. Gwyneira Silkham's future was determined when her father lost a hand of cards to a self proclaimed sheep baron also from the Christchurch area of New Zealand. These women's lives were tied together from the time they set foot on the ship that transported them to their new homes.

Marrying a gentleman in a newly settled English colony had seemed exciting and romantic to both ladies. It was only after they left the ship that they realised how little they were prepared for the hardships of living in such a new colony. Distances between farms was huge, communication was as fast as a horse could travel. Both women had to chose whether to embrace their Maori neighbours and learn their language, about their culture and beliefs or to follow their husbands lead and treat them at best as hired help.

I feel that Gwyn and Helen reacted very much as women of that time period. Once they arrived in New Zealand, they had little...

United States on Jul 06, 2015

C.Hall: I was attracted to this book having lived in the South Island of Aeteroa, Moari name for New Zealand meaning 'Land of the long White Cloud' and I love historical fiction. Whilst living there I often used to wonder what life must have been like for the first white immigrants and read a factual book about the development of Lyttleton and Christchurch and the 'respectableness' of it's unforced settlers .

Sarah Lark perfectly captures the pioneering spirit and drive to replicate life from the homeland of those first immigrants, including the strictures of class structure and the position of women. One only has to look at Christchurch to see how hard they strove to recreate a little piece of England. Some of the plot is very far fetched, implausible and too neat but provides a good vehicle for a broad brushstroke examination of the complexities of colonisation and the ability of people to change and adapt to different circumstance, including the already resident population.

What irrated me about the book however was the 'English' translation. Surprisingly Sarah Lark is German and the book has been translated by an American. Unfortunately the text was peppered with...

United Kingdom on Jan 20, 2013