4 out of 4 stars
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The setting of the story is primarily in Fort Victoria and the areas surrounding Vancouver Island in the second half of the nineteenth century. Margaret Manson and her dear brother, Kenneth Cameron, had gone to meet the head secretary of the Hudson Bay Company to finalize their travel plans. Their initials plans had been canceled, but her brother managed to secure space for her and her two sons on another ship with the valuable help of the head secretary. They were scheduled to travel in a week. Her husband, Adam Manson, and other colonist settlers had already left for the new British territory aboard the Falmouth one week before.
Margaret’s spirit was fired by the promise of change. However, she did not anticipate all that would befall her during the journey and after settling in their new home. A romantic affair developed rapidly between her and the captain of the Shanghai Lady, Mark Holland, during their long journey. It was after two months that her well-founded fears were positively confirmed. She was expectant. Will Mark get to hear about this? What is she going to do once she arrives at Fort Victoria? What will be the fate of her marriage? Will they survive the formidable challenges presented by the unfamiliar world?
Westcoast Legacy is a historical fiction book that was authored by Ian Kent. This is a story about the early settlers in Victoria and the west coast of British Columbia and the hunt for the Spanish gold. The author developed a captivating and enthralling story by perfectly interweaving the history of the early settlers and the local hunt for the gold. The book is 398 pages long and consists of 71 short chapters.
This is a story about survival and extraordinary heroism. Both natural and man-made difficulties that seemed insurmountable had to be conquered. Margaret was an independent and strong-willed woman who seldom gave up once she started pursuing any cause. Thomas and Andrew, her two sons, were also extremely supportive and hardworking. Margaret, however, had her weaknesses as well. Unlike Mark, she was used to making rash decisions. The other secondary characters were brilliantly developed also. In addition to this, the plot was excellently built too and as follows it was easy to follow the story.
What I liked most about the book were the periodic twists and turns that renewed my eagerness to continue reading. I immensely enjoyed the fact that these twists and turns seemed to occur during moments when I thought the narration was flat. The plot was also unique and enthralling since it was my first time reading about the Spanish treasures that were hidden in a cave. The conversations were also lively and realistic, and this made it easy to be inside the incredible story. There is nothing I disliked about the book.
The language employed in the book was straightforward. Editing was professionally done as well. Therefore, I soundly rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I heartily recommend it to fans of historical fiction books. I don’t think this book is suitable for children because it contains a few sexual innuendos. They were not graphic, though.
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Westcoast Legacy
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