Jenny Ashcroft's new book, Under the Golden Sun, is incandescent; brilliant prose that will break your heart and then send it soaring, exultant at the resilience of the human spirit.
Rose has miscarried a child conceived with her rather shallow fiance, Xander. Seeking to find some solace for the void left by the loss, she accepts a job escorting a 4 year old biracial boy to Australia so that he can connect with his family after the death of his mother. Predictably, she falls in love with the child, but the situation upon their arrival in Australia is anything but ideal leading her to stay with him rather than abandon him to his "relatives". She has to lay bare, not only her own secrets, but also those of the people that she comes to love in order to truly be free.
At it's heart, this is a historical romance. Set during WWII, when Australia became a staging area for much of the Pacific War, Ashcroft has done an admirable job staying true to facts while not belaboring the point.

Writing: 4/5 Plot: 4/5 Characters: 4.5/5

It is 1941 . Rose Hamilton answers an ad to accompany Walter — a young, newly orphaned boy — to his distant family on an Australian cattle station. But Walter is not an ordinary boy, and the cattle station is not what they were led to expect. About a third of this book was a very appealing romance. The rest was fiction that depicted life during wartime — in England, during the months long journey on a not-exactly-elegant ship, and in the remote areas of Australia, a few hours from Brisbane. I learned more than I knew about Australian history — particularly about the White Australia Laws and the Chief Protector of Aborigines (FYI he was not very protective). Plenty of surprises in the plot as past events come to light, and current events continue to unfold.

This was a happy book for me — in truth it was somewhat formulaic but it was executed so beautifully and with such appealing characters and well-researched history that I didn’t mind a bit. I liked the fact that the drama was not overstated, that moral commentary was pervasive but not overwhelming, and that the main characters had far more to them than their tropes (e.g. vulnerable hero) would require.

Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft is a wonderful historical fiction that has it all: history, mystery, suspense, and romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book takes place during the time period of WWII. Rose shakes up her life in England by answering an advertisement to accompany a young Walter across the seas to stay with family sight unseen to Queensland, Australia. Surprises are in store in route and upon arrival. The addition of Max and Esme to the character cast adds emotion, depth, raw emotions, and complications to Rose’s previous plans and future. Rose finds she has the ability to love a child and family that is not blood-related and is now forced to decide where she fits in this world, what she wants out of life, and asks herself if she is willing to take a chance on new hopes and dreams that originally she never thought possible.

An excellent narrative, concept, and character cast. This was unique and memorable, yet realistic and possible. I really enjoyed this journey and encourage other readers to do the same.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.