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trudyd's review against another edition
5.0
I was gutted. The author's ability to bring the struggles, the loses, the challenges of war and prejudices is mind blowing. With the tap on a keyboard she transported me back in time to experience Rose's life as she picks up the pieces and finds home.
Rose is hired to return Max to his home in Australia. His mother is dead, Vivian is dying. He needs to go back to where he belongs, even if he doesn't really belong, even if he isn't really wanted.
Rose and Walter sail on a ship that is being held together by a lick and a prayer, pulled out of mothballs when ships had been taken by the Navy. Reading of the dangers at sea in a textbook was nothing compared to experiencing it through Rose and Walter, even if they were supposed to be traveling in luxury. During the war, traveling just had different levels of horrid.
Under the Golden Sun takes the reader into the lives of those living on a cattle station outside of Brisbane. We witness the prejudices toward Walter, a little boy of mixed race. We see the struggles of those left behind by too many losses.
Jenny Ashcroft opened my eyes to the challenges Max experience after returning home from Egypt with burns that would cause problems for the rest of his life. He didn't have the memories of his plane crashing but visual reminders as he hides on the station, avoiding people, avoiding love.
The story touches on to the war in many ways. The reader is not only dealing with war in Europe but also war in the Pacific. When Japan bombs Pearl harbor, Rose's fears increase. She not only worries about her brother, Joe, flying for the British but now fears for her parents living in Singapore.
I must confess that at 95% in the story I was completely gutted. I wasn't sure if I could go on. I was being selfish. My fears for the characters had become real. I had cried with them. I had celebrated with them. I wanted them to have a happily ever after. I had to remember that so many did not get a happily ever after in World War 2.
I can't thank the author enough for bring the past to life in such away that I wanted to learn more. The ending brought me empathy. Like so many after the war, I was left wondering what happened to some of those in the book.
Rose is hired to return Max to his home in Australia. His mother is dead, Vivian is dying. He needs to go back to where he belongs, even if he doesn't really belong, even if he isn't really wanted.
Rose and Walter sail on a ship that is being held together by a lick and a prayer, pulled out of mothballs when ships had been taken by the Navy. Reading of the dangers at sea in a textbook was nothing compared to experiencing it through Rose and Walter, even if they were supposed to be traveling in luxury. During the war, traveling just had different levels of horrid.
Under the Golden Sun takes the reader into the lives of those living on a cattle station outside of Brisbane. We witness the prejudices toward Walter, a little boy of mixed race. We see the struggles of those left behind by too many losses.
Jenny Ashcroft opened my eyes to the challenges Max experience after returning home from Egypt with burns that would cause problems for the rest of his life. He didn't have the memories of his plane crashing but visual reminders as he hides on the station, avoiding people, avoiding love.
The story touches on to the war in many ways. The reader is not only dealing with war in Europe but also war in the Pacific. When Japan bombs Pearl harbor, Rose's fears increase. She not only worries about her brother, Joe, flying for the British but now fears for her parents living in Singapore.
I must confess that at 95% in the story I was completely gutted. I wasn't sure if I could go on. I was being selfish. My fears for the characters had become real. I had cried with them. I had celebrated with them. I wanted them to have a happily ever after. I had to remember that so many did not get a happily ever after in World War 2.
I can't thank the author enough for bring the past to life in such away that I wanted to learn more. The ending brought me empathy. Like so many after the war, I was left wondering what happened to some of those in the book.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 - A WWII historical fiction book set in Australia about a young biracial orphan boy, Walter, and Rosie, the woman who volunteered to bring him from England to his family and inheritance down under. Rosie is grieving the loss of her unborn baby, while Walter has recently lost his mother and then his aunt. Both find a new life and new friends in Australia as the war wages all around them. Full of rich historical details and a great deal of heart. This was great on audio narrated by Olivia Dowd and one I would recommend. Much thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my ALC!
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
I love a sprawling tale that follows a brave & beautiful heroine as she makes her way through the world. Rosie is supported by an uncle (right hand man to Winston Churchill), brother (RAF pilot), & parents (military chaplain & wife in the Pacific Theater) who adore her, when she falls head over heels for a 4-year-old orphan boy who needs to be transported to Australia. She leaves her cad of a fiance behind in England to become Walter's friend & protector. In Australia, she becomes independent, makes friends, experiences heartbreak & falls in love. (The love triangle pits rich American journalist vs. brooding Aussie war hero--I mean, come on!) If this book had been written in the '70s (the Golden Age of the TV Mini-Series), I'm sure it would have ended up on the TV screen & my teenage self would have been there for every hour of it!
brandy_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This book will forever make me question whether I should DNF a book or not. I've had a run of just ok books lately and the start of this was slow, making me want to throw in the towel very early on. I'm so glad I didn't. Once Walter is introduced to the story, I very quickly adored his little character, and loved how the relationship between him and Rose developed. The pace of the entire book was slower than I normally like, but so well written that all I wanted to do was read it. My only issue really was the ending, I got to about 80 pages to the end and I was ready for it to be finished but there was still quite a lot more to happen. I so loved the ending though! This was my first Jenny Ashcroft novel, I have Meet Me in Bombay and I am even more excited to read it now.
Thank you @stmartinspress for the finished copy.
Thank you @stmartinspress for the finished copy.
ohemgeebooks's review against another edition
2.0
This book is a whole vibe right?
That gorgeous cover, the WWII historical love story set in the “raw beauty of Australia”, the promised plot that would leave me captivated.
I thought it was going to be a sure thing.
Alas, it was not.
In Under the Golden Sky by Jenny Ashcroft, we have Miss Rose Hamilton eager to leave her life behind and answer an ad to escort an orphaned five-year-old to his family in Australia. The family is not what Rose expects, and she spends the rest of the book fretting over young Walter’s happiness, her faraway fiancé, and the gruff wounded fighter pilot uncle, who just might be the key to ensuring Walter’s happiness…and her own.
I don’t know how to say this nicely, so I’m just going to say it.
This book was a slog.
It was repetitive. More than once I had to read about how Rose may or may not have squatted to pee in front of a certain other grizzly character. That was not the only thing she was constantly muddling over. Her so-called fiancé is a horrible human. I wanted more independence from you Rose. And that five-year-old had the same personality as a cookie- he was sweet. That is all.
Don’t even get me started on the telegraph tease paragraph transitions.
I’m sounding salty, I know.
And I’m still puzzling over the high ratings on GR…..
Did we all read the same book?
Can some please alleviate this itch and recommend me a good historical fiction set in Australia?
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I’ll admit I often judge a book by its cover, and this one wasn’t a win for me.
That gorgeous cover, the WWII historical love story set in the “raw beauty of Australia”, the promised plot that would leave me captivated.
I thought it was going to be a sure thing.
Alas, it was not.
In Under the Golden Sky by Jenny Ashcroft, we have Miss Rose Hamilton eager to leave her life behind and answer an ad to escort an orphaned five-year-old to his family in Australia. The family is not what Rose expects, and she spends the rest of the book fretting over young Walter’s happiness, her faraway fiancé, and the gruff wounded fighter pilot uncle, who just might be the key to ensuring Walter’s happiness…and her own.
I don’t know how to say this nicely, so I’m just going to say it.
This book was a slog.
It was repetitive. More than once I had to read about how Rose may or may not have squatted to pee in front of a certain other grizzly character. That was not the only thing she was constantly muddling over. Her so-called fiancé is a horrible human. I wanted more independence from you Rose. And that five-year-old had the same personality as a cookie- he was sweet. That is all.
Don’t even get me started on the telegraph tease paragraph transitions.
I’m sounding salty, I know.
And I’m still puzzling over the high ratings on GR…..
Did we all read the same book?
Can some please alleviate this itch and recommend me a good historical fiction set in Australia?
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I’ll admit I often judge a book by its cover, and this one wasn’t a win for me.
marbooks88's review against another edition
4.0
It is World War II in England and Rose needs a change. A choice she made ended in tragedy and she is forever changed. Her life further changes when she agrees to accompany a young orphan, Walter, back to extended family in Australia. When they arrived in Australia the welcome is not at all what Rose expected. Why is the family so surprised to see her and Walter? Will they ever be able to provide him with the life he deserves? And what will Rose do with her life?
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc for my honest review.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc for my honest review.
mybooksandkidsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft follows Rose as she accompanies an orphaned child to Australia in the midst of the war. She leaves behind a life and a fiancé only to discover a new potential life and love. I love the writing and this love story is so unique and beautiful. The characters are charming and the story is so engaging, even for my wildly distracted brain right now. This is my second Jenny Ashcroft book and she has definitely become a new favourite.
☀️Updated thoughts: I’m so glad I read this one slowly, it felt like I was savouring something so incredibly special. This book is one of my favourites of the year. This story and these characters are incredible. I loved absolutely everything about it and wouldn’t change one aspect of the book. This is going on my forever shelf.
Thank you to @stmartinspress for my copy.
☀️Updated thoughts: I’m so glad I read this one slowly, it felt like I was savouring something so incredibly special. This book is one of my favourites of the year. This story and these characters are incredible. I loved absolutely everything about it and wouldn’t change one aspect of the book. This is going on my forever shelf.
Thank you to @stmartinspress for my copy.
pkadams's review against another edition
4.0
Solid 3.5 with the pacing slow in the beginning and an ending that could have been longer, but the epilogue does wrap up the story.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars I'm rounding up. This is a cute story that is eye-opening for the location it takes place. I don't feel like there is a lot of historical information that is dumped or thrown at the reader. It's really a story about family and love and about finding out where you belong. While I found it cute, I'm not sure it was one to stand out in the genre or story.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
bhunsberger's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advanced copy of this book.
Rose is on her way to a birthday celebration with her family, and a newspaper advertisement for a travel companion for a small child catches her eye. Her life is fairly unsettled and she gives in to her curiosity to go directly to the home of the advertisement to inquire about the job that day. With the war underway, an interesting relationship with her fiancé and other family members, she jumps in and meets young Walter, and is soon on her way overseas to accompany him to his new home in Australia. Upon arrival in Australia, Rose's expectations of Walter's family fall flat and she is determined to stay until he is comfortable and feels safe without her. Rose begins to explore life in Australia while her heart continues to grow for young Walter. This is an interesting view of the war from this part of the world, and I enjoyed the different setting.
Rose is on her way to a birthday celebration with her family, and a newspaper advertisement for a travel companion for a small child catches her eye. Her life is fairly unsettled and she gives in to her curiosity to go directly to the home of the advertisement to inquire about the job that day. With the war underway, an interesting relationship with her fiancé and other family members, she jumps in and meets young Walter, and is soon on her way overseas to accompany him to his new home in Australia. Upon arrival in Australia, Rose's expectations of Walter's family fall flat and she is determined to stay until he is comfortable and feels safe without her. Rose begins to explore life in Australia while her heart continues to grow for young Walter. This is an interesting view of the war from this part of the world, and I enjoyed the different setting.