Isabella Bleszynski

Kingdom of a Thousand Days: Book 2 of The 'John Ross' Trilogy

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

AWARD WINNING HISTORICAL FICTIONOne of the most extraordinary stories ever to emerge from South Africa's turbulent history.There was no greater warrior king than Shaka of the Zulus. Above all else, he valued two things -courage and loyalty. He would find both in his unlikely hero - the 12-year old Highlander known as 'John Ross.' In 1825, 9-year old Charles Maclean sets out from Fraserburgh, Scotland on his first sea voyage. When he is shipwrecked on the shores of Zululand, his arrival is not unexpected. A silent watcher, one with extraordinary mystic powers, is waiting for him.Launched headlong into the dangerous, unpredictable arena of Shaka Zulu's kingdom, the stranded mariners face impossible odds, with little hope of rescue. When the young Maclean, also known as 'John Ross', is detained against his will in Shaka's kwaBulawayo, the place of killing, his future looks bleak. However, all is not as it seems...Within the pages of KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND DAYS lies a truly unforgettable tale, one that has as yet not been fully told. Though etched in cruelty, treachery and betrayal, it also portrays the other side of the coin - human kindness, life-saving generosity and the discovery of deep bonds of friendship in the most unlikely of places.From the timeless sands of the Wild Coast to the lush, war-ravaged hills of Zululand and the autocratic rule of Shaka Zulu; to the shadowy, political intrigues of the British-held Cape, Mozambique, and the horrors of the slave trade, follow in the footsteps of CHARLES RAWDEN MACLEAN, the 'JOHN ROSS' of legend and become immersed in the enthralling, spell-binding story that still lingers in the heart of kwaZulu Natal.WINNER OF THE PITLOCHRY QUAICH AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION The Scottish Association of WritersExcellent, memorable...what the story teller's art is all about. Alanna Knight MBE, Honorary President

Produktdetails

• The 'john Ross' Trilogy Nr.2
• Verlag: Tenacious Woman, LLC
• Seitenzahl: 498
• Erscheinungstermin: 22. Mai 2018
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 28mm
• Gewicht: 721g
• ISBN-13: 9780993346156
• ISBN-10: 0993346154
• Artikelnr.: 57992888

Autorenporträt

Isabella was born and educated in the north-east of Scotland, and as she herself says 'the descendant of Jacobites, sea-farers and others of that ilk.' A few years after graduating into the teaching profession, and with a brief marriage behind her, she took up a contract with the British Ministry of Overseas Development. Accompanied by her two young children, then aged 4 and 6, she travelled to the Republic of Zambia. 'It was, ' she says, 'the real beginning of my life. All the adventures I'd ever dreamed of were there for the asking, although Africa is certainly not for the fearful, the nervous or the timid!' After Zambia, came Malawi, 'the warm heart of Africa.' In direct contrast to that, came five years in Colonel Ghadafi's Libya 'another sort of experience, in a totally different part of Africa, but interesting all the same.' Almost 24 years later, she returned to Scotland. 'When I was a child, I wrote all the time, ' she said, 'and really, writing was constantly on my mind all through those adventurous years. Inevitably, life often overcomes practicality, and it was only afterwards that I was able to turn to it again. The day I first knew of the existence of 'John Ross, ' and heard a little of his story, was the day the old driving urge to write came back. We came from the same background, were born 60 miles apart, although separated by two centuries- and Africa had been where we had met our life challenges and survived them. Who better to write his story than me.' The journey to do so has been a privilege - and one of the most exciting I've ever undertaken.'