Destiny Cottage

by Dieter Gartelmann

Overview

In 1837 west of Shanghai Baozhai is a gorgeous girl who at age 4 charms everyone to get her way. When promised in marriage at age 14, she refuses to become someone else's property and flees home with enough business skills and guts to take on the world. In 1840 north of Shanghai, Wei is brought up without his mum, bullied when young, and after learning Kung Fu , he overcomes his tormentors. He marries at age 20 but is devastated 3 years later when his wife leaves him for a rich man. He decides he can make his fortune on the Australian goldfields. These 2 people, both from farming backgrounds, meet by chance and their attraction is instant and powerful. They challenge each other almost daily but overcome everything through their mutual love and respect. In 1856 they face the challenges of a long sea voyage, learning English, an overland trek, staking a claim on the goldfields and finally building "Destiny Cottage". It’s compelling reading as we follow their journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781664101104
Publisher:	Xlibris AU
Publication date:	10/28/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	376
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Dieter Gartelmann came to Australia as a 13-year-old with his family and settled in Adelaide, South Australia. Learning English and on a scholarship studied Engineering, married, has four grown up children. After a 45-year IT career he beat covid-19 isolation by writing a romance/adventure novel that built on his experience as a non-English speaking migrant to write about a Chinese couple traveling to the Australian goldfields.

Editorial Reviews

Love stories are beloved for a reason. They speak to the heart of any good romance, which is two souls connecting on a deeper and more impactful level, and finding themselves drawn to one another to spend more and more time together. The love in any good romance story is made even sweeter when we get to see the hardships and struggles each person in the romance overcame to get to the point where their paths crossed.

In author Dieter Gartelmann's Destiny Cottage, an epic love story is explored as readers dive into the stories of Baozhai and Wei. Baozhai seeks to avoid an arranged marriage to a brutal soldier, and escapes into the unknown. Meanwhile, Wei has spent a lifetime learning to master his family's style of Kung-Fu after being bullied as a child, and soon finds himself dealing with a broken heart after his first wife leaves him for a richer man. As the two meet and fall in love, they decide to strike out on their own and find success in Australia, where destiny calls for them with promises of gold and riches. Soon, Wei and Baozhai are bound together, and work as a team to find love and wealth in the 19th century.

This is a beautifully written blend of historical fiction and romance. The author takes readers into an often-overlooked era of history, as we explore the Asian culture and history of the two protagonists set against the backdrop of the gold rush era which saw people not only flock to places such as California, but to countries like Australia as well. Wei and Baozhai are both strong and emotionally-driven characters, utilizing a strength and determination that makes them stand out amongst the gold seekers of the outback. The relationships the two build not only with one another but with characters like Baozhai's mother or young women seeking shelter from a harsh world, make the story flow smoothly and the characters more empathetic to one another's history.

This is a gripping tale of adventure and romance that is perfect for readers who enjoy detailed historical fiction dramas and heartwarming romances. As a fan of both genres, it was easy to lose myself in the author's narrative, delving into some of the protagonist's amazing culture. Getting to see the characters go up against many of the problems that were faced in those days, from arranged marriages of young women far too young to be married, to fighting the stereotype that women need men to be successful in life and more, made this book and the narrative within an edge-of-your-seat read.

A breathtaking, emotional and engaging read, author Dieter Gartelmann's Destiny Cottage is a must-read novel. A heartfelt journey of love, overcoming the odds and history in the making, the author does a great job of highlighting history and culture in the midst of an emotionally-driven narrative which sees romance bloom naturally and inescapably.
—Pacific Book Review

From the Publisher