Nana Can: Michael, Kathleen, Ian, Claire, and Lizzy. When we are young, we think we know everything. When we have lived, loved, struggled, and fought, we sometimes regret choices we have made, but we also know you have to roll with the punches and go where life leads you. This is a great story, enjoy!
United States on Sep 29, 2022
Marion Marchetto, author: Toward the Sea of Freedom is an epic, sweeping saga of the first white settlers in New Zealand. Many are convicts from England who were originally sent to colonize Australia and who either stayed after serving their sentences or were able to escape and find their way to New Zealand. Among the characters are Kathleen whose first love Michael was convicted of theft and sent to Australia but not before leaving her pregnant with his child. Michael himself is a shiftless sort, not afraid of work but more of a drifter looking for a good drink and a pretty woman; he doesn’t believe he’ll survive the trip to Australia. Lizzie is a street walker in London living in abject poverty; when she’s accused of trying to steal some bread, she’s convicted and sent to Australia. Ian Coltrane, from the same Irish village as Kathleen and Michael, marries her and they set off for New Zealand, but he’s embittered by the fact that she carries Michael’s child; he is dishonest in his dealings as a horse trader and beats and rapes his wife mercilessly. Claire is Kathleen’s only friend in New Zealand; together with their children they escape their husbands and set up their own business in...
United States on Aug 28, 2022
Karen Ann Schmid: After reading Sarah Lark’s other New Zealand based Trilogy, I was excited to begin, this new series of books. “Onward the Sea of Freedom” is an engaging and easy read. If you enjoy learning some history and historical background about New Zealand, Sarah Lark’s books will painless teach you.
United States on Jul 08, 2022
Amazon Customer: As usual Sarah has woven a wonderful tale with interesting historical facts as well. I’m now going to read the next chapter in the second book!
United Kingdom on Jul 06, 2022
Kindle Customer: A wonderful evocation of the times from the story's beginning in Ireland through to it's end the other side of the world.
The main and subsidiary characters are so well-defined, with all their human frailties, that they really come alive off the page. Sarah Lark is a gifted and unusual writer who understands just how people change and evolve as they go through life. Years and circumstances rub off the early naivete, and leave us more complex layered human beings. I love her characters: warts and all. This book is well worth it's five stars and I look forward to Book 2 of the Trilogy.
United Kingdom on Apr 22, 2022
Streets of Philadelphia: This was a very well developed book that kept me engaged throughout the entire story. I actually read it quite quickly as I was fascinated by the lives of three very strong women, role models for women 150 years later. I appreciate stories that tell the story of those who lived through and survived the Famine in Ireland as it provides me with a background for why my own ancestors left this beautiful country. I really enjoyed learning more about the penal colonies in Australia, and how New Zealand came to be settled. The story is both romantic and realistic and while the ending was different than what I had hoped for during three-quarters of the book, it was the right ending and did not disappoint.
United States on Aug 26, 2020
Patricia M.: A lovel tale of love nd the winding paths life sometimes takes us down. The author put a lot of effort into her research of the background history and culture of the land in which the novel takes place, New Zealand. Without wanting to accuse the author of plagiarism, the opening story of the novel, in which Michael steals corn from his boss Trevallion, and is sent on a prison ship to Bottany Bay, leaving behind his beloved Mary Kathleen, who is with child so he tells her to raise their child in dignity, is highly reminiscent of the song Fields of Athenrye, in which Michael steals corn from Trevallion, is sent on a prison ship to Bottany Bay, telling his beloved Mary to raise their child in dignity. I assume the song may have been the influence for the book, but the author built on it and made it her own story.
Unfortunately I occasionally found myself thinking I was in the wild west rather than NZ, not by any fault of the author, but due to the publisher's decision to employ an American to translate rather than someone who speaks British English. It's only a small detail but for me personally, the story of English and Irish settlers in NZ loses a wee bit of authenticity when...
Germany on Jul 21, 2019
Melba Hard: What an incredible book, I bought this book a while ago but never read it. It was only when I saw that the sequel advertised that I remembered it. At least I won't have to wait long to find out what happens to Michael, Lizzie ,Peter, Kathleen and the children.
I found this book so interesting not just the people in it but the historical detail and the Maori culture which I already knew a little of from the years that I spent in New Zealand.
I really enjoy this author and the translation is so well done. I have already read her previous books set in NZ and feel this one is even better.
United Kingdom on Dec 15, 2017
Janus: An insightful look at life for the poor of Ireland and England, where stealing food to keep your starving family alive during the potato blight will land you on a prisoner ship to Australia. The struggles of these men and women to survive unbearable conditions, harsh and cruel jailers and little hope of ever seeing their families again. The courage that takes them to a new land, the hopes they cling to of becoming free and the realaties of indentured servants leaves them little hope. But inspite of all this some women and men do survive, find better lives and a reason to live. A slow read, full of detail and downright depressing most of the time keep you hoping that there will be a good outcome for these courageous people.
United States on Feb 16, 2016
| Toward the Sea of Freedom: Book One of The Sea of Freedom Trilogy | André Klein's German Learning Journey: Café in Berlin - Stories to Enhance Your Language Skills | Frontlines Series, Book 2: Lines of Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
 |
 |
|
| B2B Rating |
82
|
98
|
97
|
| Sale off | $14 OFF | $5 OFF | |
| Total Reviews | 27 reviews | 73 reviews | 109 reviews |
| Women's Domestic Life Fiction | Women's Domestic Life Fiction | ||
| Customer Reviews | 4.4/5 stars of 6,858 ratings | 4.6/5 stars of 3,530 ratings | 4.4/5 stars of 17,613 ratings |
| Dimensions | 6 x 1 x 9 inches | 5.06 x 0.22 x 7.81 inches | 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches |
| Publisher | Amazon Crossing | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; Bilingual edition | 47North |
| Item Weight | 1.85 pounds | 3.67 ounces | 12 ounces |
| Best Sellers Rank | #864 in German Literature #28,461 in Family Saga Fiction#29,090 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction | #25 in German Literature #145 in Foreign Language Instruction #1,526 in Short Stories | #1,242 in War & Military Action Fiction #1,429 in Space Marine Science Fiction#4,087 in Science Fiction Adventures |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1503951532 | 978-1492399490 | 978-1477817407 |
| Family Saga Fiction | Family Saga Fiction | ||
| ISBN-10 | 1503951537 | 1492399493 | 1477817409 |
| German Literature (Books) | German Literature | German Literature | |
| Language | English | German | English |
| Hardcover | 560 pages |
Australia on Dec 04, 2023