Rainbows on the Moon

by Barbara Wood

Overview

“I was born for adventure. I flout convention. I am a New Woman on a holy purpose.” Newlywed Emily Stone and her husband, Isaac, are young missionaries who have traveled from New England to Honolulu to share the Gospel with the Hawaiian natives.

Gentle, adventurous, well-bred, and beautiful, Emily soon finds herself struggling with intense homesickness but remains determined to share her faith . . . and ignore her growing feelings for handsome Captain MacKenzie Farrow. Just as she begins to bond with the influential High Chiefess Pua and her daughter, Mahina, unexpected tragedy threatens to force her off the island. In a state of confusion, Emily makes a decision that could destroy everything she knows and loves―including her own sanity.

Three decades later, Sister Theresa comes to the islands as a missionary nurse and becomes acquainted with Captain Farrow’s charming son, a powerful man who is instrumental in Hawaii’s alliance with America. Theresa discovers that a dark curse is plaguing his family and the island’s inhabitants, a curse that only Emily and Mahina can help her reverse. With richly imagined characters and spellbinding scenery in the tradition of James A. Michener’s Hawaii, Rainbows on the Moon is a masterful depiction of the beauty of human emotion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630260880
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	10/28/2014
Pages:	460
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

BARBARA WOOD is the international bestselling author of 26 acclaimed novels, including New York Times bestseller Domina. Her work has been translated into over 30 languages. Barbara lives in Riverside, California.

Read an Excerpt

He was in his mariner’s coat again, the gold-braided cap on his head, a solemn look on his face. Once more, he took Emily’s hands in his and said, “I cannot recall when I have last enjoyed myself this much in port. And for the first time, I find myself reluctant to leave. But Alaska calls and I have a long voyage ahead of me.” She could barely speak. The past five days with MacKenzie had been a dream. They had gone for walks, visited lagoons and waterfalls, he had invited her aboard his ship, he had told her more enchanting tales while she had spoken of her girlhood in New Haven. Their behavior had been of the utmost propriety, with MacKenzie frequently expressing his dismay that he had missed the Reverend. “I will write to you and your husband,” he said, “and dispatch the letters with accommodating sea captains along the way.” “Isaac and I will look forward to reading them.” Although, in truth, Isaac had not been interested in Captain Farrow’s first letters, which had arrived six months ago. She doubted he was going to be interested in more. But she herself . . . Emily was going to treasure them. Once again she stood on the promontory to watch the Kestrel vanish over the horizon. But this time, she didn’t feel just a part of herself going with it, but her entire self and she knew she would not be whole until he returned.

Table of Contents

Part One: Hilo on the Island of Hawai‘i, 1820 Chapters 1-7 Part Two: Willamette Valley, Oregon Territory, 1851 Chapters 8-9 Part Three: Honolulu, O‘ahu, 1860 Chapters 10-26

Editorial Reviews

08/04/2014
Engrossing but flawed, Wood’s latest (after 2013’s The Serpent and the Staff) chronicles almost 40 years of Christian proselytizing and American commerce in Hawaii. The narrative begins in 1820, when Emily Stone arrives with her Calvinist preacher husband Isaac, both of them determined to clothe and convert the local “heathens.” Instead, she finds herself resisting forbidden feelings for handsome sea captain MacKenzie Farrow. Deftly playing with reader expectations, Wood places a number of seemingly insurmountable obstacles in Emily’s way before she and MacKenzie are finally free to marry. Moving ahead to 1860 San Francisco, the story shifts focus to a young woman named Anna Barnett. Unable to achieve her dream of being a doctor due to her gender, Anna joins a Catholic order of nuns solely so she can work as a nurse, and, renamed “Sister Theresa,” is sent to Hawaii. There, a new forbidden love arises, between Sister Theresa and Honolulu shipping magnate Robert Farrow, MacKenzie and Emily’s son. After finely executed beginning and middle sections, the book stumbles to its predictable ending, but it should still remain compelling for historical fiction fans. Agent: Harvey Klinger, Harvey Klinger Inc. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"The plot and pacing are masterful, and there is enough sex, betrayal, murder, and intrigue to keep the most skeptical readers breathlessly turning pages. Wood skillfully envisions a society set in biblical times, with people-trading, marrying and scheming in a thriving coastal town at the center of ancient trade routes, rendered in soft focus but with marvelous clarity and complexity." —Publishers Weekly, for The Serpent and the Staff

“With a story that’s vividly told with rich historical details, Barbara Wood brings Ugarit to life. For readers who enjoy delving into the deep past of civilization, this is a recommended read.” —The Historical Novel Society, for The Serpent and the Staff

“Wood shows herself a wizard at juggling action and romance, maintaining the momentum and sparkle of both.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Wood makes her fiction come alive with authentic detailing and highly memorable characters.” —Booklist  

“Barbara Wood is an entertainer.” —Washington Post Book World

“Wood crafts vivid sketches of women who triumph over destiny.”

“Entertainment fiction at its best.” —Booklist

“Absolutely splendid.” —Cynthia Freeman, New York Times bestselling author

“Wood creates genuine, engaging characters whose stories are fascinating.” —Library Journal

“A master storyteller.” —Tulsa World

“An accomplished storyteller.” —John Jakes, New York Times bestselling author

“[Wood] never fails to leave the reader enthralled.” —Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, author of A Woman of Independent Means

From the Publisher