When my husband and I married 23 years ago, I had no idea where we were going on our honeymoon. First, we flew to Miami and changed planes, bound for Puerto Rico. Then we took a short flight to St. Kitt’s, followed by a ferry to the gorgeous island of Nevis. I had never heard of this remote paradise in the Caribbean, yet I soon discovered it centered around a volcano, known as Nevis Peak. Since I married a geologist, I was not surprised he chose such a place to explore with his new bride.

Over the past two decades of marriage, my mind has returned numerous times to this tiny beautiful island. So I couldn’t wait to read Lisa T. Bergren’s new series, the Sugar Baron’s Daughters. The first book, Keturah, took me back in time to the year 1772, as three sisters leave their native England to begin a new life on Nevis, following the death of their father.

Keturah is a young, 23-year-old widow, still healing from a past abusive marriage. When her father dies, she finds herself heiress of Hartwick Manor in England and Tabletop Plantation on Nevis. Unfortunately, she discovers her father was saddled with a heavy load of debt, and his sugar cane plantation in the West Indies is no longer producing profit. Rather than hire an overseer to manage his estate in Nevis, Keturah decides to travel there herself. Her two younger siblings, Verity and Selah, join her in traveling by ship to the West Indies, to save what is left of their heritage.

The author’s descriptions of Nevis are rich with imagery, allowing me to travel through her words. After embarking in Charlestown, the sisters travel along a road smelling of jasmine, surrounded by mango and guava trees, as well as palms “loaded with coconut.” Bright red and yellow tropical blossoms are set against a backdrop of turquoise blue sea. As the sisters settle in to reclaim the plantation home and 50-acre tract of land left by their father, they are met by surprise at every turn.

Although it flies against all the conventions, Keturah and her two sisters are determined to make their own way in the world, despite the odds stacked against them. They must rely on deep inner strength and faith to pull them through island storms and turmoil. Keturah soon discovers that several men on the island don’t believe it’s a woman’s place to run her own plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?

I loved this fascinating adventurous love story, which was filled with details about Nevis, also the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. Although I usually prefer modern fiction, Keturah is a strong heroine, and the battles she faced in 18th-century England and Nevis are similar to trials women face today: she must overcome grief and disappointment to begin a new chapter of her life, trusting God with every step.

To research the setting for the book, Lisa T. Bergren traveled to Nevis with her family, and her teenage son captured the island using drone videography. You can watch an edited video clip narrated by the author here. She spent countless hours researching primary sources, such as letters and diaries, trying to discover the island’s past, when it once held over 300 sugar cane plantations, a cash crop for England. Fans of the Broadway musical Hamilton will enjoy learning more about his birthplace, which you can visit.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this trilogy. The journey begins with Keturah!

About the Author:
Lisa T. Bergren has published more than 40 books with more than 3 million books sold combined. She’s the author of the Christy Award-winning “Waterfall,” RITA®-finalist “Firestorm,” bestselling “God Gave Us You,” and popular historical series like Homeward, Grand Tour, and more. She’s also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three teen-and-older children.
Find out more about Lisa at http://lisatawnbergren.com.

Enter to win a copy of Keturah. Five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced March 13 on the Litfuse blog!

Thank you to Litfuse for sending me a complimentary copy of this book for review.