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.
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A Handful of Destiny
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