Beth Powning Livres

Azuba Galloway marries Nathaniel Bradstock, a veteran sea captain, and she believes she will sail at his side.When she becomes pregnant she is forced to stay behind and suffers from lonliness of living without her husband. When Azuba becomes embroiled in scandal, Nathaniel is forced to take her and their daughter, Carrie, aboard his ship. Their voyage to London is ill-fated, beset with ferocious storms and unforeseen obstacles that test Azuba's compassion, courage, and love. Alone in a male world, surrounded by the splendour and the terror of the open seas, she must face her fears and fight to keep her family together.

Beth Powning presents an unforgettable tale of love, grief, and renewal, intertwined with profound insights into the natural world. At fifty-two, Kate Harding faces a crossroads; the sudden death of her husband a year prior has left her in deep sorrow, struggling to envision a future. Residing alone in her Victorian home, filled with memories, she longs for a time when her grief might lessen enough to allow for hope. When her sister brings nine antique hatboxes filled with family papers from their grandparents' eighteenth-century home, Kate hesitates to confront the remnants of her family's past, already overwhelmed by sorting through Tom’s belongings. However, the scent of the hatboxes evokes childhood memories, stirring a mix of emotions: love, sorrow, and contentment. As she explores the letters and photographs, Kate finds solace in her past, yet discovers that her seemingly perfect childhood held its own tragedies and losses. The return of an old acquaintance, Gregory, offers a chance to step out of her solitude. Though they share a history, Gregory's unresolved grief from his son's suicide complicates their connection. As Kate realizes Gregory is trapped in his memories, she must distance herself. When a new tragedy strikes, Kate is forced to confront her pain and begin rebuilding her life.