Robertina - A Portrait of Courage and Hope

My search for the mystery of my Great Grandmother's story took me from the wilds of Caithness and wind swept Orkney Isles to the rugged land of Otago, 12,000 miles away.

I discovered my ancestors arrived penniless in the new world in 1874 and courageously battled against extreme conditions near the goldfields in Moonlight.

My heroine fell deeply in love but found the answers to a cruel secret in her past.

Robertina – A Portrait of Courage and Hope is the tragic story of the author's Great Grandmother who lived in Orkney.

 The Harcus family were from Eday, which is described, before they emigrated by sailing ship in the 1870s to become early settlers in Otago, New Zealand. Many were tempted by the 'new world' due to free or subsidised passages offered by the NZ Government.  

 The history of the time period 1860 - 1900 is woven into the story and readers have found this particularly interesting as graphic insights are given such as the three month sea journey on board the Nelson, life in post gold rush Dunedin for new immigrants, the harsh conditions early settlers faced in east Otago. The consequences for a woman if her only crime was falling in love and marrying.

 Robertina is based on fact and many years of research using resources in northern and southern hemispheres. E.g. the author was able to uncover accurate accounts of the sea route taken by the Nelson through Papers Past in NZ.