Isobel Harris sails out with her sister Cecily and friend Alice Dunwoody to Cairo. British officers are stationed here, such as Alice’s husband Wilfred Dunwoody and his dashing brother, Edward. The ladies are the Posh sort, travelling IN THIS FOREIGN LAND. The date is March, 1914.
The Egyptian portion of this story is the most vividly realised, the heat, dust, splendour and pong of the city and landscape. Isobel is an artist and finds her soul moved by the beauty of the Pyramids and Nile. Easy to fall in love with a man of her own class, easy for a would-be Bohemian to promise love and make love. Then news of rising turmoil in Europe plunges a chill through every heart, and the British head home.
Next we follow Isobel through the Great War as an expectant mother and a wife, in that order, struggling against the snobbery of established families and the heartless criticism of those who wanted their son to do better. There’s a twist in the tale, more than one twist, but I’ll leave those for the new reader to discover.
Visit the lakeshores of Northern Ireland and the civility of London along with the characters. Experience the turmoil, the waiting for letters that came too late or not at all, the unwrapping of bandages from the severely maimed. No war is easy for those who serve and those who wait.
I had read ‘Murder At The Mena House’ by Erica Ruth Neubauer, set in the same location as the early part of IN THIS FOREIGN LAND. Both books capture the same sophistication of upper crust life and the veneer over the distance between the native Egyptians and non-natives. I was almost disappointed when there wasn’t a murder mystery to solve. But wartime drama brings its own suspense story. Suzie Hull chose well with an aspirational heroine, a creative artist who didn’t intend to marry, until the exotic atmosphere and heady romance cast their spell. I’ll be looking out for more books by this debut author.
'I beg of you this one thing - that if I should perish here, in this foreign land, that you will look after her.'
March, 1914. When talented artist Isobel embarks on a journey to Egypt, it's to reunite her best friend Alice with her husband, Wilfred - and to use the stunning sights of Cairo as inspiration for her own paintings.
A whirlwind romance was the last thing she expected, but when Isobel meets Wilfred's handsome brother, Edward, neither can deny the strong connection between them - especially when unexpected tragedy strikes, leaving them all reeling.
Just as they get to grips with their grief, WW1 erupts, and the lovers are forced to separate. They promise to meet again in London. But when Edward is listed as 'missing - presumed dead' only weeks after landing in France, Isobel is devastated, unmarried and on the brink of ruin. She has only one way to save her honour... but it means betraying the love she holds so dear.
A heartrending and thrilling WW1 romance, In This Foreign Land is the stunning new debut from Suzie Hull, for fans of Kate Hewitt, Shirley Dickson and Kate Eastham.
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