WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE
The author´s tone isn't strident, but she does reveal the stark facts. Filipinos make up
a third of all crews worldwide. Often, seafarers haven't seen their families for years
and live on subsistence wages. As George writes, 'buy your Fairtrade coffee by all
means, but don't assume that Fairtrade governs the conditions of people who fetch it
to you.'
The Guardian of Secrets: And Her Deathly Pact by Jana Petken
Review by Gillian Brown
This debut novel is a sweeping family saga covering
four generations, from 1912 to 2010. The story begins in
England with Celia locked in a desperate marriage to
Joseph Dobbs. The handsome man she fell in love with
turns out to be a drunken, abusive villain, and a
murderer. Helped by her aunt, Celia escapes to Spain
with her new-born son, where she meets the wealthy
Ernesto. Together they have two sons, who join
opposing sides during the Spanish Civil War. Back in
England, Joseph Dobbs is sentenced to death, but
complications leave a threat hanging over both Celia’s
life and her inheritance.
This is a fast-paced, tense and engaging tale, its history
well-researched and its characters strongly drawn. Some Civil War scenes are
violent and disturbing, but never gratuitously so. So many unexpected twists and
turns make this a real page-turner. It would make a great movie.
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