Elizabeth Goudge’s first novel is set in the Channel Islands during the late 1800s. It’s a story of one family’s struggle to connect with one another, heal, and persevere. The year is 1888. Rachell and Andre du Frocq live on a run-down farm in the town of St. Pierre, on one of the Channel Islands (between England and the coast of Normandy). The proud parents of five high-spirited children, they have wrestled their happiness out of heartache: they’ve buried three babies and depleted Rachell’s inheritance to keep the farm alive. When a shipwrecked man lands on the island, Rachell takes him in. The man, Ranulph, has spent his whole life refusing to be tied down to anyone or any place, yet he finds the du Frocq family hard to resist. As the story unfolds he finds healing for some of his past hurts and begins to find ways to support the family, the farm, and the island. Exploring the freedom found in commitment and perseverance, this story of family devotion was Elizabeth Goudge’s first novel and is not without its surprises!
