Official Review: A Handful of Destiny by Tony Nash

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Kibet Hillary
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Official Review: A Handful of Destiny by Tony Nash

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Handful of Destiny" by Tony Nash.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Transitions occur in life. Some are easy to cope with while others will always remain a nightmare. A Handful of Destiny by Tony Nash is an intriguing historical fiction book that is full of instances where the main characters underwent painful and excruciating transitions. The book contains two hundred and eighty-six pages. The book is captivating down to the last page. It is also very realistic.

Thomas’ grandfather, James Nash, fell into an enormous debt when his brother, John, took the savings they had accumulated over a long time and ran away. No one ever got to hear from him again. The effect of what John did was not to be felt fully until when, eighty-five years later, Thomas completed repaying a loan his grandfather had taken so as to settle up another huge loan that John had taken. Trouble began brewing. He soon found himself in prison. He was sentenced to imprisonment in a land that had been newly discovered. This was none other than New Holland, later to be called Australia. Thomas had been arrested together with his wife, Martha. Whether or not the prisoners, including Thomas and Martha, will survive is uncertain.

What I liked most about the book is its simplicity. The story is not absurd, but it is narrated in a way that is enthralling. Each chapter is more interesting than the preceding chapter. Curiosity is aroused by the ingenious use of foreshadowing. It is made more realistic by the emotional dialogues between characters. The plot of the story is also well developed. Having seen the number of books authored by Nash, I thought that this would be one of those stories that are written merely for the sake of writing. I was proved wrong right from the start. While the plot is crucial, characters can break or build a book. It is worth noting the author never failed in this as well. All the characters, both the main and the secondary ones, are adequately built.

The core themes of the book are justice, love, family, gender discrimination, and revenge. All these themes, in addition to others that are minor, make up this memorable story. Gender discrimination made the book fit into its setting. I was astonished to read that financial matters were undiscussed with women in the late eighteenth century in England. The book was professionally edited also. There was only one instance where the font color was different. Vivid description enabled one to construct mental pictures of what was being described.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was incredibly easy to read. The enthusiasm of the principal character, Thomas, was amazing. His journey through ups and downs was an inspiration. I recommend this book to all fans of historical fiction. This is a unique book since it is unlike most of the stories that are set during either World War II or I. It will appeal to those who love adventures most. Those who like stories that have an urban setting, with modern technological advances, may not enjoy reading this.

******
A Handful of Destiny
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Post by OrlaCarty »

It sounds like this book has a great combination of solid characters, themes and plot! Thanks for the review.
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Post by DorcasToo »

Wow your review is captivating, thanks for that.I love historical fiction and from the looks of it am going to enjoy this one. I love how you in particular note the gender discrimination; an aspect that's quite a revelation. Glad that you enjoyed reading it will definitely be reading it in future.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

OrlaCarty wrote: 19 Aug 2018, 08:06 It sounds like this book has a great combination of solid characters, themes and plot! Thanks for the review.
Thanks for the comment. This is a very interesting book indeed. You will enjoy reading it.
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

DorcasToo wrote: 20 Aug 2018, 13:56 Wow your review is captivating, thanks for that.I love historical fiction and from the looks of it am going to enjoy this one. I love how you in particular note the gender discrimination; an aspect that's quite a revelation. Glad that you enjoyed reading it will definitely be reading it in future.
Thanks. The comment is very insightful. I am quite sure that you will enjoy reading it. Thanks a lot for the reply.
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Post by joycechitwa »

This sounds like a book I can read in a single sitting! Thank you for the great review. The story seems very solid and captivating, and the characters as well do not disappoint. What I like about it is that the interest is not captured by vain things like romantic stints or pointless dilemmas, but by the rich imagination and storytelling gift of the author.
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Post by AmySmiles »

In a way I expected this to be non-fiction. The description is not quite grasping my attention. Than you for the thorough review!
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

joycechitwa wrote: 21 Aug 2018, 02:08 This sounds like a book I can read in a single sitting! Thank you for the great review. The story seems very solid and captivating, and the characters as well do not disappoint. What I like about it is that the interest is not captured by vain things like romantic stints or pointless dilemmas, but by the rich imagination and storytelling gift of the author.
Sure, the book can be read in a single sitting. It cannot disappoint. It was fascinating to the last page.
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

AmySmiles wrote: 21 Aug 2018, 08:55 In a way I expected this to be non-fiction. The description is not quite grasping my attention. Than you for the thorough review!
Thanks for the reply too. The book narration can make one think it is a nonfiction. It is very intriguing as well.
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

I don't usually like historical fiction, but learning about colonial Australia would be interesting.
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Post by Sahani Nimandra »

Wow! 😳 That's a one big fat problem! But, I don't get it? How is it that his grandfather's and brother's loan be paid by him? Is it a joint loan or did he sign as a guarantor? But as far as I understand it sounds like a very interesting read and I can see that you have enjoyed it to your hearts content. Thank you for your review!
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Post by Rosemary Khathibe »

I'm not a fan of historical fiction, but the story sounds touching with Thomas working hard to pay the loan only to go to prison later. Thanks for your insightful review.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

teacherjh wrote: 22 Aug 2018, 06:57 I don't usually like historical fiction, but learning about colonial Australia would be interesting.
I guess that you can give it a try by reading this one. Indeed, it is interesting especially reading how the locals reacted to the presence of new people and how they eventually were able to move on. Above all, the story is very captivating.
Thanks for your reply.
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

Sahani Nimandra wrote: 23 Aug 2018, 08:06 Wow! 😳 That's a one big fat problem! But, I don't get it? How is it that his grandfather's and brother's loan be paid by him? Is it a joint loan or did he sign as a guarantor? But as far as I understand it sounds like a very interesting read and I can see that you have enjoyed it to your hearts content. Thank you for your review!
The loan was so huge that its repayment was completed in his time. His grandfather and father did not complete paying it, so it took three generations to clear the loan.
It is an interesting read for sure. Thanks for the reply.
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

Rosemary Khathibe wrote: 23 Aug 2018, 14:47 I'm not a fan of historical fiction, but the story sounds touching with Thomas working hard to pay the loan only to go to prison later. Thanks for your insightful review.
Thanks for your reply.
Indeed, the struggle was a tough one for him. The story was masterfully written. You could give it a try.
“It just hurts too much to admit what is wanted so badly when there’s no guarantee of its availability.”
- Dr. Larry Crabb
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