Ember Island (49 page)
The sun filtered through the leaves and made patterns on the grass as the wind moved in the treetops. He paced the garden, certain that hours had passed when his pocket watch told him it had only been minutes.
Then the sound of the door bursting open. He looked up and she stood there. Her red hair catching the sunlight, her pale eyes frantic, her mouth a little
O
of surprise.
He told himself to be courageous.
“Tilly?” he said, and all of his fears and hopes were compressed into the question he had made of her name.
“Sterling!” she gasped, and ran down the stairs to his waiting arms.
A
s I wrote this book in something of a white heat, I can only assume that I will forget to thank somebody. But never before have I been more aware of the fact that writing a book requires the support of so many people.
My Sisters, who are the best writing group in the world. My agent, Selwa Anthony, who represents both business acumen and love. My dear friend, Mary-Rose, who helps me see the world clearly. My incredible, tireless, intelligent, priceless research assistant, Heather Gammage, without whom this book would be full of holes and errors. (If there are errors, they aren’t her fault. Sometimes I gleefully ignored her good advice for the sake of a good story.) Julie and Karen Hinchliffe: thank you for sharing early memories of sugarcane fields. Thanks too for those who responded on social media with your burning cane memories: the black snow is down to you. I want to acknowledge those who gave invaluable editorial input: Vanessa Radnidge, Jody Lee, Kate Ballard, Heather Lazare, and Paula Ellery. I continue to benefit
greatly from the resources and generosity of the University of Queensland, its libraries, staff, and students, but especially my colleagues in the School of English, Media Studies, and Art History.
This book was researched and written in part on St. Helena Island and Moreton Island, the islands on which Ember Island is based. They are both wonderful places, for different reasons, and Moreton Bay is a fabulous location for a holiday if you feel so inclined.
My personal life is held together by seven lovely mammals who share my space: Ollie, Luka, Astrid, Petra, Nyxi, Wiglaf, and Sigrun. As always, I want to thank my mother, who still lets me lay my head in her lap so she can stroke my hair. The longer I’m alive, the more I love you, Mum.
TOUCHSTONE READING GROUP GUIDE
Ember Island
Ember Island
tells the mesmerizing story of two women, separated by a century, who discover long-buried secrets in an Australian manor house.
In 1876, Tilly, a recently married young Englishwoman, is reeling with shock and guilt after her tempestuous marriage ends in horrific circumstances on the remote Channel Islands. Determined to get as far from England as she can, she takes on a new identity and gets a job on Ember Island in Moreton Bay, Australia, where she becomes the governess to a prison superintendent’s young daughter, Nell. As Tilly fights her attraction to the superintendent, Sterling Holt, she befriends one of the few female inmates, and a dangerous relationship develops. Meanwhile, her precocious charge, Nell, is watching her every move and writing it all down, hiding tiny journals all over Starwater, her rambling manor home.
More than a hundred years later, bestselling novelist Nina Jones is struggling with writer’s block and a disappointing personal life. Her poet boyfriend has recently broken up with her, and a
reporter is digging into the past of Nina’s great-grandmother, Nell, making Nina realize that there are some secrets she may no longer be able to hide. Retreating to Starwater, she discovers Nell’s diary pages hidden in the old walls and becomes determined to solve the mystery. Though Tilly and Nina are separated by more than a century, Starwater House will change both their lives.
Deeply affecting and beautifully written,
Ember Island
is a sweeping novel of secrets, second chances, and learning to trust your heart.
1. Nina tells Joe that her great-grandmother, Nell Holt, was
“legendary in our family. . . . She was a wild nonconformist. . . . She was fierce.”
What were your initial impressions of Nell? Do you think her reputation as “fierce” is justly deserved? Why or why not? What, if any, examples of Nell’s fierceness did you observe?
2. Nina’s friend Stacy says,
“The nineteenth century wasn’t a great time to be a woman.”
Do you think she’s right? How does Tilly’s experience bear out this statement? Since Tilly will not inherit her grandfather’s property after his death, what options are available to her?
3. Why is Starwater House so important to Tilly, Nell, and Nina? Nina gives several explanations for her decision to stay at Starwater House longer than she initially planned. Do you think her explanations differ from why she’s actually staying?
4. Laura, an acquaintance of Tilly’s, tells Tilly,
“Expectations are the enemy of happiness.”
What does she mean by this statement, and how does it apply to Tilly’s current situation? Do you think Nina’s expectations have gotten in the way of her happiness, particularly with Joe? How?
5. At Tilly’s wedding, before her husband
“registered that she was regarding him, she saw something that made her stomach prickle with doubt.”
How does this foreshadow their life? What were your initial impressions of Jasper? Did your feelings about him change? If so, how? Why did Tilly marry Jasper originally? Why do you think she stays after his true character is revealed?
6. Tilly’s grandfather leaves her a box of banknotes along with a short message that reads,
“This is for you and nobody else. A woman should have at least something in the world.”
In what ways does Tilly’s grandfather try to protect her? Do you think that Tilly is right to keep the banknotes after she gives Jasper her other possessions? Why or why not?
7. Nina says
“one thing I hated more than anything was being asked to speak about my historical research.”
Why does Nina hate speaking about her writing process? Were you surprised to learn where many of Nina’s ideas came from? How does Stacy react to Nina’s disclosure? Do you agree with Stacy’s viewpoint?
8. After the accident at Lumière sur la Mer, Tilly feels immense guilt because
“[t]he punishment was immeasurably out of
equivalence with the crime.” Do you agree? What were Jasper and Chantelle’s crimes? Discuss Laura’s final letter to Chantelle on pages 396-99. Do you think that Chantelle was as guilty as Jasper in the crime against Tilly? If so, explain why.
9. Nell’s diary is interwoven through the narrative, connecting the past and the present. Discuss the ways it helps give insight into the events at Starwater House during both Tilly’s and Nina’s time. Did reading Nell’s diary help you see her differently? Compare how Nell presents herself in her diary to the way other characters perceive her.
10. When Joe’s father asks Nina if she is in a relationship, she lies, rationalizing her decision to do so by saying,
“Joe had to know I was unavailable and it wasn’t as though I could easily tell him why. I wouldn’t be on the island for long; it didn’t matter if I lied.”
Why does Nina assume a relationship with Joe wouldn’t work out? Do you agree with her assumption and her decision to lie? How does Stacy react to her decision?
11. Fire is an important conceit throughout
Ember Island
and, although the thought of fire
“made [Tilly’s] stomach turn to ice”
, she is deeply connected to it. How does the author help establish this connection in her descriptions of Tilly? There are two significant fires in the book. Describe the effect that each has on Tilly’s life and the lives of those around her. How did Ember Island get its name? Discuss the ways in which the name of the island alludes to both the events that occur on it and Tilly’s life in Guernsey.
12. Discuss Tilly’s relationship with Hettie. In what ways are the two women alike? When Tilly decides to help Hettie, she believes that
“[s]he could erase her actions of the past with her actions of the present.”
Why does Tilly think that helping Hettie will absolve her of her guilt over what happened with Jasper? Do you agree with her logic? Were you surprised when Tilly decided to help Hettie? Why?
13. In
Ember Island
, islands are described as
“places in between; places neither here nor there, but rather places on the way somewhere.”
How does this statement apply to both Tilly and Nina? How does each woman end up at Ember Island? Do you think it’s a temporary stop for them? Explain your reasoning.
14. After speaking with Sterling about Mr. Burton’s accusations, Tilly mutters,
“The truth fixes nothing. . . . The truth is a great burden.”
Do you agree with Tilly, or do you think Sterling is correct that “the truth fixes everything”? Does being truthful hurt or hinder Tilly and Nina? After each woman decides to be truthful, what are the results?
1. Nina says of the reporter Elizabeth Parrish,
“Maybe I had been angry with Elizabeth Parrish because she revealed the truth: I wasn’t an artist. I’d always known that.”
Discuss what art is with your book club. Do you think that Nina’s bestselling Widow Wayland series can be classified as art?
2. After reading Nell’s diary, Nina thinks,
“These were my ancestors. This was my family history. . . . Do we honor the past by projecting ourselves forward into the future? By carrying on genes and traits and family stories?”
Discuss Nina’s statement. How do you honor your own family history? Share your own photos and stories with your book club.
3. Nell is fascinated with
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
. Read it with your book club and discuss why you think the story appeals to Nell.
4. Nell’s companion is her wooden cat, Pangur Ban, whose name is taken from an Old Irish poem. Read “Pangur Ban” as a book club. What does the poem say about writing and inspiration? Discuss how it relates to Nina’s writing or your own creative process.
5. To learn more about Kimberley Freeman or
Ember Island
, read her blog at
http://kimberleyfreeman.com
.
© JUSTINE WALPOLE
KIMBERLEY FREEMAN
was born in London and her family moved back to Australia when she was three years old. She grew up in Queensland, where she currently lives.
Kimberley has written for as long as she can remember and is proud to write in many genres. She is an award-winning writer in children’s, historical, and speculative fiction under her birth name, Kim Wilkins. She adopted the pen name Kimberley Freeman for her commercial women’s fiction novels,
Duet
,
Gold Dust
,
Wildflower Hill
, and
Lighthouse Bay
, to honor her maternal grandmother and to try to capture the spirit of the page-turning novels she has always loved to read. Kim has an honors degree, a masters degree, and a Ph.D. from The University of Queensland, where she is also a lecturer.