In two world ward, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations.
In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same–until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie’s inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling’s injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he’s tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.
Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper’s daughter. But when was breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.
As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling’s lives in World War II, it seems yesterday’s tides may sweep them all into danger again today. [back cover copy]
YESTERDAY’S TIDES by Roseanna White is a gripping tale of fierce love, loyalty, and sacrifice that spans two world wars and half the globe.
Set largely on Ocracoke Island of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, it reveals some fascinating and new (new to me—but perhaps not to North Carolinians) historical episodes. And while the history is intriguing, the story and characters Roseanna weaves are even more so.
YESTERDAY’S TIDES is a dual-time novel and one of the best technically that I’ve read. The story is chock full of interconnections, immersing the reader in both stories such that each new detail reverberates in both eras.
One tip I’ll give readers: tolerate the ambiguity. Even embrace it. Any “holes” you notice aren’t holes but really partial revelations with more to come. Similar to meeting new neighbors, you don’t learn everything about them immediately. They’re revealed slowly, in layers, over time. That is also true for the characters, complex and believable, that we meet in YESTERDAY’S TIDES.
White shares with readers the characters, settings, and drama of the war and families and sacrifice with a deft hand and a breezy style as fresh as the seashore. A couple of quotes will show you:
“She turned his hand so his palm was up and dropped in a handful of screws. ‘There. I knew you’d prove useful.’
‘Oh, yes. Four years at Cambridge prepared me excellently for being a bowl.’” [p53]
“Habit. That’s what it was. What kept her here. Habit, trussed up with names like ‘duty’ and ‘responsibility.’” [p 285]
I highly recommend YESTERDAY’S TIDES. But be warned ~ I suspect you’ll enjoy meeting this Ocracoke family and be drawn into the story so thoroughly that you’ll postpone bedtime night after night.
Roseanna White is a Christy Award winning author who’s written “a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books.” Find out more or connect with her at http://www.roseannamwhite,com.
The moment we meet Brook Eden, her playfulness and audacity invite us to join her. And from page one when she cajoles best friend Justin to teach her to drive the Rolls Royce he’s parked in front of her, we dash off with them on adventures from Monaco to England.
From inciting incident, to growing trouble, to resolution, White fills the story with surprises, twists and turns like a mountain road. I particularly admire a scene when the family has been praying for a missing member, White gives the reader a glimpse of the amazing, unique way that prayer is answered, while no one in the story ~ even those who are the answer ~ has a clue. Masterful plotting and writing, there and throughout. I highly recommend this riveting tale to fans of historical romance and suspense.
That in itself is noteworthy because due to some changes in family plans and publishing plans, I ended up with a firm deadline for an open submission and only a few weeks to plan and write half of the story. Long, painful days but it was FUN! Only God could do that. And Allen Arnold’s unique book, The Story of With, helped.
Someday I’ll pen some posts about the ah-ha moments that made me laugh. Or cry. Or simply stop and praise God.