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Sarah Lark, born in 1958, studied psychology and completed her doctorate on the subject of "daydreams." She also worked as a tour guide for many years and was always fascinated by the paradisiacal places of the world. Her captivating novels set in New Zealand immediately gained a large readership and have a longstanding position on the bestseller list in Germany.
Sarah lives in Spain and is currently working on her next novel. Under the pen name Ricarda Jordan, she takes her readers away on a journey into the colorful middle ages.
Reviewed by Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite
Island of A Thousand Springs by Sarah Lark takes the reader on a rare journey from the dreary streets of London to the slave plantations of Jamaica in the mid-1700s. The tale follows Nora Reed as she loses her first love and marries Elias Fortnam, who spirits her away to her dream home on the island of Jamaica. Haunted by her first love, she never truly learns to love Elias, but comes to terms with her new position as a plantation mistress, preventing some of the violent acts perpetrated on slaves in her own way. Nora also helps provide medical treatment for the slaves. Her life seems to be stable, but when Elias’s son, Douglas, returns from studying abroad, their simple world is torn asunder.
Miss Lark picked a very challenging subject upon which to write and she succeeds most admirably in conveying her story. I enjoyed Nora’s development from the beginning as a love-struck girl to her thriving as a woman and caregiver. All of the characters are immensely sympathetic as we have all lost love. By the author splitting the story into sections, I was able to track the story development easily. I felt Nora’s sadness through each new trial and tribulation. I liked learning about the history of Jamaica, which is a seldom discussed topic in history class. Reading about the various African tribal customs was very interesting and it encouraged me to want to learn more about the tribes. Overall, while not an easy, feel-good read, Island of A Thousand Springs teaches meaningful lessons about hope and perseverance. Readers should be aware there are some graphic scenes of violence.
