London, 1732: Nora Reed, the daughter of a merchant, falls hopelessly in love with her father's clerk, Simon. Despite their differing social class, the star-crossed lovers dream of a future on a tropical island - until tragedy strikes, and Nora must face a life without her soulmate. Hopeless, Nora enters a marriage of convenience with Elias Fortnam, a widower and sugar planter in Jamaica. Even without Simon, she is determined to somehow fulfill their tropical fantasy. But life in the Caribbean doesn't turn out as Nora had dreamt.

-- Nora is deeply shocked by the way plantation owners treat the slaves and decides to shake things up on her own sugar cane plantation - for the better. Surprisingly, her adult stepson Doug supports her in this endeavor when he arrives from Europe. However, his return also puts things into a state of turmoil - especially Nora's feelings.

-- Just as Nora seems to be settling into her role as lady of the house, one harrowing event rips everything from her but her life... A gripping tale of love and hate, trust and betrayal, and a thrilling destiny set against the pristine beaches and swaying palmtrees of the tropics.

-- For fans of Kathleen Grissom,THE KITCHEN HOUSE, Alex Haley, ROOTS: THE SAGA OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY, and Sue Monk Kidd, THE INVENTION OF WINGS.

Sarah Lark was born in the Ruhr region of Germany in 1958. She studied psychology at university and wrote her doctorate on the subject of “daydreams.” She has worked as a primary school teacher and as a tour guide – a job which led her to discover and fall in love with New Zealand, where her bestselling In the Land of the Long White Cloud trilogy is set. She has also written many books about horses for adults and children, and has been nominated for the Deutsche Jugendbuchpreis, Germany’s distinguished prize for best children’s book. A regular presence on the German bestseller list, Sarah currently lives with four dogs and a cat on her farm in Almería, Spain, where she cares for retired horses. She is available for interview.