I LOVED this book!!! I’ve read other books by Sharon Maas and this one did not disappoint! There were elements of sadness and happiness, sorrow and joy…. Additionally, there was enough mystery to keep you guessing!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

The Faraway Girl is set in the 1970s in Guyana. Rita is five at the beginning of the story, knowing that she's the reason her mother died but not why or how. Her father, Jitty, refuses to talk about it and, unused to being a father, basically lets Rita run wild, their house cluttered, full off stray pets that Rita has adopted. But then Jitty brings home a woman, Chandra, to be Rita's new mother, and soon a new sister too. From the start, Chandra looks down on Rita for her mixed race and is very stern with her. Later, determined to learn more about her mother, Rita travels to stay with her grandmother, but the truth she learns will change her life forever.
I had a hard time getting into this book and it wasn't until about halfway through that it caught my attention. The descriptions of the beautiful countryside and the wildlife was fascinating though and well worth the effort to get to the heart of the story. I just wanted to give Rita a hug for how she was treated for a lot of her childhood.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This book is Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction. I found the beginning very hard to get into, and I also found parts of this book hard to follow. I feel the historical jumps back in time need to be done better. I loved the book after I got into the book, and after I figured out what was happen. The last 50% was so great, and it is so worth getting through the first part of the book. There was a big reveal in this book, and the reveal was so heartbreaking, but it was good. There is some problems of this book that could upset readers, so you should really look into the triggers of this book before reading this book if you get upset by things you read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Sharon Maas) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

It took me ages to get into the book and then what happens was so upsetting. The older I get the more I think books should have trigger warnings like Netflix shows. Not sure I would have read it. Still it is well-written book, I can’t fault if for that.

Before I left home for further studies, I had a woefully inadequate understanding of history, geography or anything to do with the outside world. This was despite my father's never-ending efforts to try to get me to make an effort. With every passing year and every book written by a person from a place I know very little about, I am learning.
I first registered the country of Guyana when I was in NYC. Their names seemed Indian but spelt differently, which made me curious. This book gave me a lot of information and painted the country and its diverse and rich history vividly.
This is an actual saga. There is a dual narrative perspective of our lead protagonist, Rita's father and his past. This part could have been put into the first half together without affecting the story's overall flow. There is also a 'mystery' aspect with the backstory of Rita's life until she came to live in the house she grew up in that did not need the secretive treatment.
It is a very personal reaction; I liked reading about all the different cultures, the various prejudices that endure even after several generations have grown up together with literally no differing habits, but I had an issue investing in Rita herself. The back and forth with the father's life and the holding back of information did not help me. I usually appreciate such revelations that are only made towards the end, but I wanted it to be a straightforward story this time. I wanted to be immersed in Rita's life, sympathize and empathize with her and cheer her on to find direction in life. I did not want the constant speculation of why and what her father was hiding from her. I read this in very few sittings since the author's writing flowed as she described Rita growing up from an odd child to a very independent woman.
I would recommend this to others who want to read about the country and those who like good historical fiction.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This is a beautiful story and touched my heart. I love reading books set in places I have never been to because I learn so much. This is not a fast-food kind of book. I savored it; took my time with it. I really appreciated getting to know Rita and her story before she reached out and grabbed me by the shirt collar and wouldn't let go.

WoW Sharon Maas books are all written beautifully; with so my love behind each book you.....become apart of the novel. So when her latest book The Far Away Girl came out, I had to find a day for myself, turn off my phone and chillout in my comfy chair and open my kindle! Oh Boy The Far Away Girl did not disappoint! It was just beautifully written throughout. It was a very powerful book and is about racism, prejudice, self discovery, conservation, humanity etc. The main character within this book is called Rita who is seven years old, mixed race little girl who loves all animals, and life. Rita is growing up in Guyana without a mother and lives with her father, but that's about all she gets from her father is a place to live. Rita for the most part entertains herself by taking in any strays that come into her yard or that she hears about from neighbours. Things are about to change around her when her father marries someone called Chandra. Rita's life and everything around her changes.....WoW

One thing I will say - you will need tissues.......

I highly recommend this latest book and looking forward to read more books from this brilliant author,

Big Thank you to netgalley and bookouture for this advance reader copy of Sharon Maas’ latest novel,

This book is difficult to rate. I was excited to get the book and when I began reading it seemed childish and I realized it was diary.. Then it flipped to a different POV Jitty. The book is very difficult in the beginning to get into then you start enjoying it and then the ending is a lack of direction and POVs. This is a story of Rita, a young girl taken from the only family she has ever known by her father. Rita is a quiet girl that keeps to herself and doesn't let many people get to know her. Her father also lonely decides it is time he marries. Chandra is not a very nice person and is a racist, She takes out her dislike on Rita. Rita had been allowed to run wild and has a deep love of all animals. Chandra on the other hand does not like animals and gets rid of them all which makes Rita even more lonely. She wonders about the mother she has never known. Rita repeatedly asks her father, but he is deliberately vague and only tells her what he wants to share, which is not much. This book follows Rita’s journey to adulthood and discovering the truth about her mother’s family that she has forgotten and the untimely and tragic death of her mother. It also shares the racism that was prevalent during this time frame. The story itself is very good but there is much of it that is hard to read jumping back and forth. The ending is very disappointing and seemed very rushed and came out of nowhere. Through out the story there seems to be something missing in Rita's life. We suspect but never know until the end.

What a beautiful, poignant coming of age story.

Rita grew up in Georgetown, Guyana in the 70s. She was raised by her father in a big, old house and was considered ‘the wild child’. Rita passed the time reading books, writing in her diary and collecting random pets including ants and tadpoles. Nobody seemed to pay her any mind. When her father married Chandra, Rita life’s changed. She finally had some attention but not the good kind.

This story spans over a period of 2 decades. I enjoyed each phase of Rita’s life. I liked reading about her adventures as a rebel child. However, my heart broke for her as details of her struggles came to light. She especially struggled with the lack of a mother and not knowing much about the woman. Her teenage years had me smiling. Her discovery of boys and crushes was especially nostalgic. What an innocent but exciting time. We then get to witness Rita becoming a young woman and finding her identity. Something struck a chord with me when she explored her search for identity as a black woman and a professional. I loved Rita’s journey despite all the heartache and pain along the way.

Guyana is such an interesting setting. I admit that I knew absolutely nothing about the country before this book. Sharon Mass introduced me to Guyana and all its beauty including the scenic beaches and of course the people and their culture. While reading the book, I kept Googling Guyana images and I am in awe of the beautiful rainforests. Through Rita’s story, I also found out about Guyana’s sea turtles. What an amazing role the mother turtles play in this story.

This is a story about love, loss, identity, second chances and family. It will make you smile but will also break your heart. Learning about Rita’s mother definitely did break my heart. I now understand why her story was such a big secret with the reveal coming only towards the end. The pacing of the story is wonderful. It lulled me into the Rita’s journey and Guyana. I was totally immersed in the narrative. The descriptiveness and imagery of the setting was masterfully done. Crafting of the characters was so deftly done that I will always carry them with me. I don’t think I’ll ever forget Rita.

You all should read The Faraway Girl by Sharon Maas, meet Rita and travel to Guyana through the narrative. Highly recommended.

This is a story of Rita, a young girl taken from the only family she has ever known by her father. Rita is a quiet girl that keeps to herself and doesn't let many people get to know her. Her father also lonely decides it is time he marries. Chandra is not a very nice person and is a racist, She takes out her dislike on Rita. Rita had been allowed to run wild and has a deep love of all animals. Chandra on the other hand does not like animals and gets rid of them all which makes Rita even more lonely. She wonders about the mother she has never known. Rita repeatedly asks her father, but he is deliberately vague and only tells her what he wants to share, which is not much.

This book follows Rita’s journey to adulthood and discovering the truth about her mother’s family that she has forgotten and the untimely and tragic death of her mother. It also shares the racism that was prevalent during this time frame. The story itself is very good but there is much of it that is hard to read jumping back and forth. The ending is very disappointing and seemed very rushed and came out of nowhere. Through out the story there seems to be something missing in Rita's life. We suspect but never know until the end.

I love this book so much, I never knew about Guayana, I didn't know anything at all, the story, the place, I only knew the name. when I was a child I was taught about it in school but after that, I think I've never heard of it again.

it was a delight to know more about it and to see the beauty in the words of Sharon Mass.

This is the story of Rita, she was just a kid when her journey started, she wasn't expecting so many changes in her life until her father decided to remarried to a woman who was not kind at all, I suffered so much with Rita, she was a great character, kind and very empathic and lovable with animals and nature.. it was terrible when her father didn't really understand her and give more power to her stepmom than to her own daughter. I really got angry so many times with him because he felt like a very passive man he was not a strong character or role model, I felt like Rita was growing and learning on her own...

Don't get me wrong her father was a nice guy but his problem was that he hid from everything and everyone even from his own daughter and that's when things when to the trash.. he was so immersed in his own guilt that didn't make this easy for Rita.. he was hiding so many secrets to her including the story about her mother.

Many characters were great and made this story so beautiful and wonderful Rita's family from her mother side were wonderful, very nurturing, very kind these are the people that for me were there for Rita all over, all the years no matter if they were not nearby or closer together, these people were love and kindness all over and that's what they showed to Rita from day one.

You're going to laugh so much with Rita especially when her stepsister does something with some green objects lol that was hilarious.

One of the most beautiful things about The Far Away Girl is the love for animals and nature, the adventures Rita had in all these magnificent places made me feel like I really want to go there and see the Shell beach and all those amazing turtles.

Definitely, in love with this book, I have only one problem please the ending was very vague can we have more about Rita's happiness.

In 1976, five-year-old Rita is ripped away from the only family she has ever known and is taken to Georgetown, Guyana, to live with her father, Jitty Miraj. A wild child, she surrounds herself with animals and books, and shares everything with her diary, a gift from her father. Her father becomes her world, and she forgets her past.

When Doomsday comes, and she meets Jitty's new wife Chandra, Rita is told that she is not good enough. Chandra is embarrassed of Rita's African and Amerindian roots, her curly hair, and the fact that her parents weren't married. Rita is quickly set off to the side. Then a chance to visit her mother's family presents itself. Will Rita finally learn the truth her father will never tell? How did her mother die? This is the coming of age story of Rita Miraj, from five years old to adulthood.

This is an absolutely gorgeous, soul-touching book that I could not put down. We are immediately drawn into Rita's life and grow up with her as she learns to cope with a weak but manipulative father and his empty promises. Words are her gift, and we are gifted with her poems and diary entries. Music, movies, and political/historical events of the 1970s and 1980s are relayed through Rita, Jitty, and flashbacks to Rita's mother Cassie. The lush beauty, diverse wildlife, and rich history of the Pomeroon River area are described in vivid detail. Rita has a deeply moving and soul- changing moment on Shell Beach watching a turtle lay her eggs, and I was drawn in to her overwhelming wonder and joy. The evolution of Rita's heart, mind, and goals as she grows and learns is so well captured here. This book was an unforgettable, magical joy to read. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My opinions are my own.

Rita is an animal loving, carefree seven year old when her father remarries and she meets her stepmother for the first time. Soon animals are banned from the house and Rita is pushed out by her new sibling. She yearns to find out the truth about her mother who she cannot remember. Can she persuade her father to admit the truth...?
The Far Away Girl is beautifully written. It wonderfully evokes the Guyana culture, geography and society. I found the descriptions lovely but they did lengthen the book considerably in my opinion. There is also an important message about conservation and respecting nature.
The book is divided into 3 parts. The first is Rita's childhood, often unhappy as she struggles to find affection from her stepmother. The second her teenage years as she tries to express her burgeoning femininity. The third is her young adulthood as she strives to follow her heart. In each section she needs to adapt to circumstances and the behaviour of others including her stepmother, boyfriends and her extended family.
It is sad that there is so much darkness in this book which features such a bright and vibrant setting. Rita suffers in her personal relationships due to racial prejudice and her illegitimacy. Luckily, Rita is brave and has an inner strength that radiates from her in spite of the troubles she faces.
I felt so angry with Rita's father Jitty. He admits he is a coward but his selfish and thoughtless actions affect so many characters in the book. The final part of the book is tragic as we discover the truth about Rita's mother Cassie and the circumstances in which she went to live with her father.
The Far Away Girl is a book full of contrast, love and heartache, selfishness and selflessness, cowardice and conviction.

This book is a little hard for me to rate. I found the first 20-30(ish)% hard to get into. So much so, I was contemplating calling it a day. However, I pressed on and the next 60(ish)% was much better. Then we got to the last 10(ish)% and I again found it lacking. I am not sure what it is lately with books and endings that just seem so abrupt or unfinished. Maybe I read too much romance and now expect a nice, neat, "wrapped in a bow" ending. I don't know, but the ending on this one just felt SO abrupt. I wanted MORE. A further in the future look at what Rita's life looked like. Anyway, so yeah, this one was a mixed bag for sure....

The Far Away Girl by Sharon Maas was one of the saddest stories I have read to date. Our main character is Rita. She is a mixed race girl growing up in Guyana without a mother. She lives with her father, but that's about all she gets from her father is a place to live. Rita for the most part entertains herself by taking in any strays that come into her yard or that she hears about from neighbors. The activity of Rita taking in strays and caring for those who cannot take care of themselves mirrors her life throughout the novel.

Rita's father and mother met and conceived her at a very young age and where not exactly prepared for her arrival. Her mother, Cassie, made the necessary preparations to be ready for Rita's arrival, while her father, Jitty, continued with the lifestyle he had been living. Jitty left the responsibility of Rita completely up to Cassie, that is until tragedy struck.

I found myself disgusted with Rita's father, Jitty. Not once in the story did he ever do anything for the benefit of Rita. Rita is left to her own devices, except in instances where Jitty would directly benefit. Her behaviour throughout her school years reflects that of a child that doesn't get attention at home. Rita's neighbors in fact give her more attention than her own father does. I wanted to feel compassion for Jitty, being that he lost his mother and father at a young age and maybe did not have a good example of how to be a parent, but Jitty had his grandmother and aunt as guardians and Sharon Maas illustrates that they were involved in his rearing.

The Far Away Girl does end on a good note for Rita. She does find the family life she needs and deserves and from everything she has been through has zero problem empathizing with any person or animal she comes in contact with, no matter what they are going through. The Far Away Girl taught me that we are not defined by how we were raised, but how we choose to interact with our envrionments.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I’m new to this author. The Far Away Girl is a fantastic book, an emotional tear-jerker that gripped my heart and refused to let go. I will check out more of the author’s work. The author is not afraid of tackling big issues and this book touches on racism, prejudice, self-discovery, growing up to name a few. This is an excellent story, well told, intense and moving. I fell in love with everything about it. I loved Rita as a character and loving spending time with her as she grows up and learns some harsh truths about the world. I’m not familiar with the setting of the book and the author does an impressive job of bringing the world, people and society to life. This is a remarkable book.

The Faraway Girl sees Sharon Maas returning to the exotic South American country of Guyana, the setting of some of her earlier books. Instantly I knew that this would be a very good read and the more the book progressed I could tell that the author felt so comfortable writing in this setting because she was using her own memories of the country and she knew it so very well. She recreated a world that was part of her and it showed. In the end notes she mentions how her last few books required a lot of research because they were set in Europe during the war but here it was easier as she was delving back into her memories. I sense this story just flowed onto the page whilst she was writing it and that she enjoyed the time spent writing about Rita. I did enjoy her last few books set in Europe but I just felt it just wasn’t what the author was used to writing about and at times it showed.

Now we are back on familiar territory and The Faraway Girl is a brilliant coming of age story that transport you to an alluring, colourful, vivid country yet one with its own history and struggles. Similar to the difficulties and confusion that abound for Rita. Rita is an incredible character and it’s testament to such brilliant, engrossing writing that you do connect with her so much given for most of the novel she is a young girl and then we follow her teenage years. She lives with her father Jitty in Georgetown, her mother Cassie having died when she was a baby. Rita is of mixed race and this is something that presents many challenges and questions for her as the years pass by and we journey with her through ups and downs ad struggles both physical and emotional.

She is only six when we are first introduced to her but it’s easy to see she has an indominable spirit. She is fiery, self-sufficient and her love for all creatures great and small is evident with every turn of the page. Rita is more or less allowed to run feral and do what she wants. She is not your typical young girl but yet there is something that really draws the reader into her world and her mind. She is confused over not knowing her mother. She hates the fact that her father is so absent both in mind and body and promises are always broken. Rita is a survivor. She has learnt to go out there on her own into the gardens and the surrounding neighbourhood and fend for herself to explore and discover what is on offer to her inquisitive mind. These areas are what shape and mould her and the children she meets and the friends she makes and then perhaps distances herself from all really add to Rita’s story.

Yet there is also a softer side to her, one which she reluctantly shows every know and again. When Jitty introduces Chandra, as her new stepmother, she feels even more abandoned as if she doesn’t matter to anyone anymore. Chandra imposes rules and regulations and tries to curb the free spirit that is Rita. She does not like to be controlled or curtailed. This complex, deep and meaningful need within her really needs to be listened in order to understand and have her questions answered but this is never forthcoming.

Every so often we have chapters from Jitty’s viewpoint where he recollects his history, and he too struggled since he was left in the care of his grandma when his family were killed in a car accident. We learn how he met Cassie and theirs is an intriguing but problematic love story as they have to deal with family traditions, rules and regulations that impose on their unity. It was fascinating to read about this because it helped me understood even more what Rita was experiencing and really how Jitty couldn’t open up and tell his daughter everything she desperately needed to know in order to make sense of her place in the world. She couldn’t understand why Jitty was so secretive, forgetful and never spoke of her mother. He has deep secrets, hidden flaws, and has made slips ups and bad decisions. Yet for most of the book he does not seem to feel an urgent need to rectify them in order to help Rita. Instead this tough, caustic, defensive attitude of self preservation increases within Rita as she grows older and she battles with her identity. This really comes across in the friendships and relationships she forms and it is hard to read her and understand some of her actions.

I found at times the book went off on tangents away from the main plot and normally this would really frustrate me as quite often said tangents add nothing to the overall story but rather detract from it. Here this wasn’t the case at all but rather it added to the overall picture being built up. The insight into Jitty every so often helped mould the plot even further as we came to know more about his mannerisms, upbringing and his mind and it was truly fascinating. Similar to Rita he battles with his conscience and what he knows is the right thing to do but he doesn’t listen to his mind and follow the right path. Instead he has created confusion and Rita’s quest to understand her family, her heritage and her own sense of self only further intensifies instead of her being told the truth which would allow comfort, acceptance and a new stage of her life to begin. Rita has always felt like a slice of her life is missing and if you have this solidity in your own life you wonder how she must feel. But her feelings and emotions do jump off the page and sharing her diary entries with the reader really helps with this.

When Rita comes to know of her family in Pomeroon, an area deep in rural Guyana, she believes finding the spirit of her mother will provide her with the answers she seeks. That branch of the family have tried to communicate in the past and there is certainly something there that she needs to discover but it has been shut off from her for so long. Through Jitty’s actions of non contact or Rita’s refusal to meet an aunt who lives in Georgetown, either way in the later half of the book Rita’s remarkable journey takes many turns as she journeys to the Pomeroon.

Here the author’s vivid descriptions of a country so colourful and exotic and so vastly different to ours really help us understand the experiences and emotions Rita is going through. The countryside is vast and filled with sights, sounds, animals and visions Rita has had no experience of. Why was she so cut off from everything? Why has Jitty been such a closed book when it comes to her mother? Why can he not provide her with the answers and peace of mind she deserves? Will Rita experience something there that will transform her thought process and take her in a direction she never deemed possible? I loved the scenes set in Pomeroon, you could see the changes occurring within Rita that were also manifesting themselves on the outside. Her sense of worthlessness disappears and although the path she still has to thread remains difficult and mired with obstacles she may have the strength to reach the other side. The Faraway Girl was a wonderful story and for me I feel Sharon Maas has returned to top form. More like this please in the future.

This book is beautifully written!

I've never been to gyuana before but the way it's described in this book feels like I've been transported there!

Its set in the 1970s and tells the story of a girl called Rita who lost her mother due to mysterious circumstances.

I loved this book and won't hesitate to read more from this author in the future

I haven't read any books by this author previously but will definitely be adding some to my shelf. Not as easy to follow as I would like, it still was a beautiful story and I can't help but love historical fiction like this.

From the very first page of this book, I was enthralled by Rita’s character. Writing in her diary (replete with spelling errors), this 7 year old records her strong feelings of anger at her new stepmother’s attempt to rid the house of Rita’s beloved dogs and ants! A strong minded child, Rita is trying to come to terms with moving from the complete freedom that her loving but absent father allowed her to house ruled by her stepmother.

Her father, Jitty is a feckless character, who though good-intentioned can never keep his promises. Her stepmother, fooled into thinking that he’s rich marries him. She had no idea that his daughter was of mixed heritage and tries to avoid being seen in Rita’s company.

Rita is saved in some ways by her neighbour and her daughter, but still struggles with the pain and unanswered questions of what happened to her mother, Cassie. Her father refuses to give her details, and any relatives from her mother’s side are turned away. Yet these aunts continue to send her toys at first and then books and cards which she doesn’t respond too. She does enjoy the books though.

In this coming of age story, we see Rita struggling with unanswered questions, facing racial prejudice because of her curly hair, not getting enough of attention from her family and always feeling like a part of her is missing. The whispers about her being a ‘bastard’ and the cause of her mother’s death, leave her feeling guilty and confused.

When an older Rita finally journeys to her mother’s family home, she feels enveloped in the love of her grandmother, grandfather, aunts and cousins. However, she still doesn’t get the answers she’s looking for.

The author has done a great job of telling this story from different perspectives. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions, the very credible characters and the deeper issues of cultural and racial prejudice that were touched upon.

This is a story that tugs at your heart. A story of loss, weak characters, bad parenting, deep prejudice but overall a story of love that can truly overcome hurt and prejudice.

I absolutely enjoyed this read that made me smile at certain parts and moved me deeply too.