The Fire Blossom

Written by Sarah Lark

Narrated by Katherine Littrell

The bestselling author of the Sea of Freedom Trilogy returns with a sweeping family saga of two women in nineteenth-century New Zealand and their epic journey to survive in a world of their own making.

It’s 1837, and immigrating to a small New Zealand fishing village is an opportunity for Ida Lange’s family to build a better future. Yet for Ida, raised in a strict, religious, tight-knit German community, so much is still forbidden to a woman. Yearning for the poor day laborer she shared books with as a child, Ida is now trapped in a dire marriage to a man of her father’s choosing.

For Cat, who came of age in New Zealand under brutal conditions, life in the colonies hasn’t been easy. Through a strange turn of events, she is adopted by a native Maori tribe, and she begins to thrive. But when she challenges the traditions of her tribe, she’s banished, and left once again to rely on the only person she can trust with her future: herself.

When fate brings Ida and Cat together, they recognize in each other a kindred spirit. Out of common ground grows an enduring friendship that will not be broken by the hardships of the plains, threats from the past, or the trials of family and heartache. What they’ll discover is the depth of their own strength and resilience as they get nearer to the freedom they desire and demand. And their journey is just beginning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Translator: Kate Northrop
• Release date: Aug 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781978672376

Sarah Lark

Sarah Lark, born in Germany and now a resident of Spain, is a bestselling author of historical fiction, including the Fire Blossom Saga, the Sea of Freedom Trilogy, and the In the Land of the Long White Cloud Saga. She is a horse aficionado and former travel guide who has experienced many of the world’s most beautiful landscapes on horseback. Through her adventures, she has developed an enduring relationship with the places she’s visited and the people who live there. In her writing, Lark introduces readers to a New Zealand full of magic, beauty, and charm. Her ability to weave romance with history and to explore all the dark and triumphal corners of the human condition has resonated with readers worldwide.

Reviews for The Fire Blossom

[shannon_perry-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a fantastic book! I actually came upon Fire Blossom in a very roundabout way. I have been a lover of Sarah Lark for a few years now and I've read two of her series, so I looked her up at my library and they only had one audiobook for her. And it was in German. Hmm. So I try to figure out what the title of this German book might be, and what do I find? This book has only recently been translated into English and it's available through Netgalley right now even though it hasn't officially come out yet. A quick rearrange of all the books I was planning to read next to make way for this and I'm glad I did.This book is similar in many ways to In the Land of the Long White Cloud. It is about early white settlers to New Zealand and all the drama that goes along with trying to make it in a (mostly) virgin land. It is, above all, a romance novel, though the lyrical writing/translating and the obvious research make this book virtually unputdownable. Every time I tried to do something with my life that wasn't read, I caught myself thinking of Cat, Ida, and Jane, and wondering how they were going to get out of their predicaments. I hope the sequel has already been translated so I don't have to wait too long to revisit all my favorite characters!I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[stabue6erkrath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Der erste Band der neuen Neuseeland-Trilogie basiert auf der wahren Geschichte der Familien aus Raben – Steinfeld (Mecklenburg), die im Jahr 1837 mit der „St. Pauli“ nach Neeuseeland auswanderten. Der Traum von einem besseren Leben und von eigenem Land lässt die Familien die Reise ans Ende der Welt wagen. Doch als das Schiff endlich nach Monaten und großen Strapazen die Südinsel erreicht, erwartet die Siedler eine böse Überraschung. Das zugesagte Land steht nicht zur Verfügung….Farbenprächtig, voller Gefühl und unerwarteten Schicksalswendungen, mit vielen Einblicken in die Kultur der Maori.