Beyond the Shadows
Beyond the Shadows, part two of a family saga, is a blend of The Winds of War and The Thornbirds with romance, intrigue and the impact of WWII on a New Zealand dynasty.
An ambitious novel, it features a large cast, the Herringtons, who own prosperous Coomsbury station where they breed sheep and racehorses. The setting is vivid and you are drawn into their farming life in the inter-war years. The story starts with a horse theft, a dead body and a secret buried by the patriarch, Tom, that as war looms, comes back to haunt the family. Tom and Queenie’s sons vie for control of the farm. Dark elder, Edward, hides a secret love. Gentle George marries Elaine, and their children are the future of Coomsbury. Daughter, Phyllis, is married to diplomat, Charles, and witnesses the Coronation in London. Jack is a merchant navy captain facing the Japanese, and Phyllis is trapped at Pearl Harbour – a wonderfully written scene. There is death and love as New Zealand awaits the worries and deprivation of war – and we await the next sequel.
Only, there are so many characters we do not get to know them, and the plot loses pace at times. Good plot secrets are revealed too soon, while characters barely change despite shattering circumstances. There is a little too much ‘tell not show’ and several clichés. Written through modern eyes, the attitudes to race, nationality and sexuality do not quite read true to the period.
The book is professionally edited and the writing rolls along with short, neat sentences, but let’s hope the sequel has fewer characters, a slightly less modern view, and keeps us guessing until the end. For all that, though, this is an interesting read.
