To Love Anew

To Love Anew is an amazing journey you won't want to miss. There are some pretty edgy scenes in this book, which of course worked well for me. However, someone else may find a few things a bit hard to read because they were SO realistically done. I felt like I was Hannah suffering through the majority of the book. The stench, the pain, the heartache were all vividly portrayed. I doubt I would have survived what Hannah went through and may have given up hope long before. But Hannah was a survivor despite her low opinion of herself and the guilt that nearly consumed her. I loved how the author took people that Hannah would not normally associate with, but given her circumstances, she is then forced to look at her own heart and prejudices. The unspeakable evils done to the prisoners amazed me in that anyone survived at all. The story reminded me of the movie Amistad, but the prisoners on the ship were white. The forced labor for the prisoners and lack of freedom was just like slavery. John was the ultimate hero and just about made me swoon whenever he spoke to Hannah. He had plenty of reasons to be bitter, but still managed to keep his honor despite his harsh living situation. His devotion to Hannah was also commendable. I loved the tension between the two of them. Their connection felt realistic and deep. And the emotional tension between them is what excellent romance writing is all about. I loved their relationship and rooted for them to the end--as John never gave up hope. The best part of this book (besides the delectable romance) was probably the spiritual portion. Hannah had every reason to believe God had abandoned her. She responded like any human would in a similar situation. Of course God never left her, but the journey she took toward that realization was awesome. I loved this story!

In London with the death of her beloved mum, Hannah Talbot feels all alone. Adding to her grief, she loses her dressmaking shop that she and her mum made somewhat successful. Desperate she accepts a job as an upstairs maid working for Mr. and Mrs. Walker. However her new employer blames her for something she didn't do. She leaves, but when she steals food and is caught, she is sentenced to fifteen years in an Australian prison. Affluent businessman John Bradshaw has everything until the great betrayal. His partners set him up to take the fall on a venture leading to his wife leaving him. Angry, he finds himself fighting to survive especially when his enemies try to kill him. However, instead he kills his adversary, but is sentenced to life in an Australian prison. Neither Hannah nor John has any hope for the future as they set sail as prisoners on a prison ship. Both feel God deserted them. Then they meet. The first Sydney Cove tale is a deep inspirational historical romance that paints the grim gritty side of English society in which those in power abuse their positions. The lead couple is a great pairing of two individuals hurt by what has happened to them from people they thought were honorable and trustworthy; both are now with anger and despair. Hannah and John are terrific as they find hope and God when they find each other. Harriet Klausner

Hannah has been sent to Australia as a convict. She's been accused of stealing and has also been raped by her former employee. John has lost everything because of a bar fight that makes him lose his wife and fortune to his cousin. The two have plenty of reasons to turn their back on God as they are transported to a world far away from the life they are accustomed to. Treated like dirt and forced to live in the most despicable positions, Hannah and John must learn to find faith again and learn to trust each other in this new world. I thought this was Bonnie Leon's best book to date. The characters were dimensional, the writing in depth, and the historical information very well researched. This book reminded me of Patricia Hickman's Land of the Far Horizon series also set in the early stages of Australia's history. I really like reading historical novels set during this time period. I really felt bad for Hannah. It seemed at first that everything that could possibly go wrong happened to her. I don't blame her for not trusting God in the beginning. If I had suffered like she did, I probably would think the same. It chilled me to read about how they disposed of the baby and the prison conditions were equally appalling. I felt for the women who had no choice when the sailors would approach them. I didn't really feel that we go to know as much about John as we did Hannah. However I sympathized with his character too. You go to jail for self defense, your wife runs off with your cousin, he steals all your money, and then you get shipped to the other side of the world for your punishment. I tell you, Britain treated their prisoners real harsh! I really liked the Athertons. They were good people, who had no ulterior motives, and truly wanted to help out the convicts. I really thought first that Mr. Athertorn was going to side with the overseer instead of John but goodness prevailed! I also did appreciate that, at least in this book, the newcomers to the country do not tread the Aborigines with disdain or prejudice. While there is not much contact, as least what is said and down is not disrespectful or degrading. I just hope that in the future, Hannah will be able to tell John the truth about her past. Looking forward to the next books in the series.

Bonnie Leon has entered a new level in her writing with To Love Anew, the first book in her Sydney Cove Series. Her previous books have captured my attention, but To Love Anew made me sit up and take notice as I read from cover to cover in one sitting. Bonnie has a marvelous way of making her characters comes to life as she weaves historical detail into fiction. I found my heart hurting deeply for Hannah Talbot and her friend Lydia, little Lottie, and John Bradshaw; good people who had much to learn about love, forgiveness and faith. Unfortunately, bad things happen to good people and Bonnie writes about "real" life. She doesn't bury her head in the sand nor does she gloss over the painful realities of a fallen world. To Love Anew has some very tragic events, heartwrenching emotions and shows the ugliness and cruelties of corrupted hearts. However, the love of God prevails as Hannah and John learn to come to terms with the wrongs that God has allowed in their lives. While the story is somewhat predictible (as most historical fiction is) there were some surprising twists and in the end, some unresolved issues. I am now left waiting for the second book in the series. Well done!

To Love Anew is a heartwarming story of a life renewed from ashes. Hannah's circumstances spiral downward after her mother's death. When she's sent on a prison ship to Australia, she faces dreadful conditions. As a reader, I loved how Bonnie Leon showed so many details of life aboard convict ships, and what faced the survivors when they reached Australia. The book is filled with memorable characters and situations. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.