Island of Dreams
By Harry Duffin
Publication Date: December 2022
Publisher: Cumulus Publishing
Page Length: 420
Genre: Historical Family Saga
In May 1939, when Professor Carl Mueller, his wife, Esther, and their three children flee Nazi Germany, and find refuge on the paradise island of Cuba, they are all full of hopes and dreams for a safe and happy future.
But those dreams are shattered when Carl and Esther are confronted by a ghost from their past, and old betrayals return to haunt them.
The turbulent years of political corruption leading to Batista’s dictatorship, forces the older children to take very different paths to pursue their own dangerous dreams.
And - among the chaos and the conflict that finally leads to Castro’s revolution and victory in 1959, an unlikely love begins to grow - a love that threatens the whole family.
Having escaped a war-torn Europe, their Island of Dreams is to tear them apart forever.
Excerpt
Anna's initial excitement had long since turned to frustration. The carnival had continued unabated all weekend, and she longed to be part of this fascinating, vibrant new world, tantalizingly just out of reach. The colours, music and brightness of light lifted her spirits in a way she had never felt in the dark, fear-ridden streets of her homeland.
While the bustling horde of revellers surrounding the boat and on the shore became more vocal and excitable, the mood of the waiting passengers aboard grew increasingly sombre.
On Monday afternoon as groups of passengers huddled conspiratorially, spreading rumours and speculation like wildfire, Anna leant on the stern rail, watching the traders’ tireless efforts to sell just one more coconut, hand of bananas, or the red-green mango fruit that Anna had yet to taste.
Suddenly a woman behind her screamed. Anna heard a terrifying cry like that of a wounded beast. She half turned, but felt a blow which pushed her onto her knees.
A middle-aged man scrambled up onto the rail beside her, blood dripping from both his wrists.
‘They won’t get me! I’ll die first!’ he screamed. Before anyone could move, the man leapt from the rail and, cart-wheeling over and over, plunged into the dark green water beneath the towering stern.
Anna struggled up, shocked and alarmed. A crewman appeared beside her, throwing off his jacket. Mounting the rail, he dove expertly into the water far below. Passengers crushed to the rail to watch the drama, crying out and weeping in panic and fear.
As the man in the water screamed and tore at his bleeding wrists, the crewman locked a burly arm around him and struck out for a police launch racing towards the scene. Still screaming his defiance, the man was hauled aboard the launch, which turned and sped away towards the quay.
Anna looked down at her dress. The white lace was spattered with bright crimson blood.
In the family cabin, Esther cried out, terrified. 'It’s an omen! It's an omen! Nanny, burn the dress immediately!’
As Nanny Price helped the distraught young girl out of the blood-smeared dress, Esther sank into a tragic posture on the chaise longue and screamed at Carl, 'Do something! Do something! Before we are all killed!’
After dinner the head of the passengers’ committee discreetly invited Carl to join their suicide patrol to help the local police watch the ship overnight. Carl declined. With Esther’s rising panic he felt he was on a suicide patrol of his own.
He knew he had to do something. Something that his wife had forbidden him to do. He would do and face the consequences afterwards.
Harry Duffin
Harry Duffin is an award-winning British screenwriter, who was on the first writing team of the BBC’s ‘Eastenders’ and won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best TV serial for ‘Coronation Street’.
He was Head of Development at Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group, producing seven major television series, including ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ starring Richard ‘John Boy’ Thomas, and ‘Twist in the Tale’, featuring William Shatner.
He was the co-creator of the UK Channel Five teen-cult drama series ‘The Tribe’, which ran for five series.
He has written three novels, Chicago May, Birth of the Mall Rats [an intro to the TV series ‘The Tribe’], and Island of Dreams, which will be published in December 2022.
Chicago May is the first book of a two-part series: www.chicagomay.com
Social Media Links:
Website ✧ Twitter ✧ Facebook ✧ LinkedIn ✧ Instagram ✧ BookBub ✧ Amazon Author Page ✧ Goodreads
Thank you very much for hosting Harry Duffin today! x
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteThank you for hosting my novel today!
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome!
Delete