by Sharon Maas
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‘Rich in detail and emotion and has the most beautiful and real description of loss I have ever read.’ Shaz’s Book blog
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‘Wow what a very touching story that was filled with super characters and important real-life issues…’ ajbookreviewclub
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‘If you are fond of family dramas that span generations, continents, and cultures, you will find this to be a worthwhile read. I found the shift in attitudes toward gender and ethnicity across generations and cultures to be particularly interesting.’ janetursel.com
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‘A terrific writer.’ Barbara Erskine
Of Marriageable Age
A spellbinding story of forbidden love. Three continents, three decades, three very disparate lives
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Savitri, intuitive and charismatic, grows up among the servants of a pre-war English household in Madras. But the traditional customs of her Brahmin family clash against English upper-class prejudice, threatening her love for the privileged son of the house.
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Nataraj, raised as the son of an idealistic doctor in rural South India, finds life in London heady, with girls and grass easily available… until he is summoned back home to face raw reality.
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Saroj, her fire hidden by outward reserve, comes of age in Guyana, South America. When her strict, orthodox Hindu father goes one step too far she finally rebels against him... and even against her gentle, apparently docile Ma.
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But Ma harbours a deep secret… one that binds these three so disparate lives and hurtles them towards a truth that could destroy their world.
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Of Marriageable Age is out now.
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‘A big book, big themes, an exotic background and characters that will live with you forever.’ Katie Fforde
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‘Beautifully and cleverly written. A wondrous, spellbinding story which grips you from the first to the last page… I can't recall when I last enjoyed a book so much.’ Lesley Pearse
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‘It’s a wonderful panoramic story and conveys such vivid pictures of the countries it portrays. I was immediately transported and completely captivated. A terrific writer.’ Barbara Erskine
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‘A vast canvas of memorable characters across a kaleidoscope of cultures… her epic story feels like an authentic reflection of a world full of sadness, joy and surprise.’ The Observer
The Secret Life of Winnie Cox
Two people. Two very different worlds. One heartbreaking love story.
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1910, South America: Winnie Cox lives a privileged life of dances and dresses on her father’s sugar cane plantation. Life is sweet in the kingdom of sugar and Winnie along with her sister Johanna, have neither worries nor responsibilities, they are birds of paradise, protected from the poverty in the world around them.
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But everything can change in a heartbeat…
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When Winnie falls in love with George Quint, the post-office boy, a ‘darkie’ from the other side, she soon finds herself slipping into a double life. And as she withdraws from her family, she discovers a shocking secret about those whom are closest to her. Now, more than ever, Winnie is determined to prove her love for George, whatever price she must pay and however tragic the consequences might be.
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A breathtaking love story of two people fighting to be together, in a world determined to break them apart.
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Buy here!
Also by Sharon Maas
Of Marriageable Age
The Secret Life of Winnie Cox
The Small Fortune of Dorothea Q
Acknowledgments
How can I ever thank those who gave me this story? It seems to me that everyone I know from my childhood provided the ingredients, starting with my grandmother, Winifred Westmaas, the primary inspiration. Posthumous thanks to my father David Westmaas, my mother Eileen Cox, my aunts and, especially, my uncles from both sides of the family: all gone, unfortunately; and thanks to cousins and friends and neighbours and all the myriad wonderful people I knew growing up in Guyana, or British Guiana, as it was then known. Special thanks go to my cousin-in-law, Peter Halder, whose wonderful memoir about his own childhood in Albouystown woke memories and provided inspiration.
This story grew out of that unique and unforgettable background. I owe it all to them.
I’d like to thank the collection of experts on the AbsoluteWrite forum who answered many of my niggling questions about cars and custody and fires and clubfeet, in particular Jane Smith and Uncle Jim, aka James MacDonald, author.
And of course I'd like to thank the team at Bookouture who helped to birth this book: Lydia Vassar-Smith, Jacqui Lewis, Natasha Hodgson, Tom Feltham, not to mention Oliver Rhodes and the ever-supportive Kim Nash. Speaking of supportive – thanks to my co-authors at Bookouture, the most encouraging and mutually helpful group of people I’ve ever known. Hugs to you all!
Published by Bookouture
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An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.
23 Sussex Road, Ickenham, UB10 8PN
United Kingdom
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www.bookouture.com
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Copyright © Sharon Maas 2016
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Sharon Maas has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-78681-033-5