Book Blurb:
In the misty windswept embrace of a seaport in 1840s Cornwall, love and destiny collide in a legend of dark secrets and supernatural forces. Port Quin, a cliffside fishing village steeped in tradition and mystery, serves as the backdrop for an eerie and haunting legend. Village girl Effy, the daughter of a tough fisherman, has an unsettling gift-she can glimpse the future. But she couldn't predict what would happen to her own heart, as she finds herself entangled in a deadly rags-to-riches love triangle. Torn between her childhood friend, Cade, and William, a dashing newcomer who captures her mind, Effy struggles to use all of her power to save her family, love and dreams as the fight for hope begins.
A Hopeless Dawn is a gothic suspense historical fiction romance at its best, inspired by the haunting masterpiece painting of the same name by 19th century artist Frank Bramley. In this evocative and deeply moving narrative, love, destiny, and the echoes of a storm-tossed fleet intertwine. Will Effy's gifts elevate her standing or plunge her deeper into poverty?
Prepare to be transported to a world where the past casts a long, eerie shadow and legends unfold in chilling detail! Will you dare to confront A Hopeless Dawn?
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/Zgps6Y
Author Bio:
Jill George, Ph.D., has recently received an award/accolade from several prestigious editorial reviews as a "Get It" author for her new release Illuminating Darwin: Arabella's Light. She is a historical researcher specializing in Victorian era London and Cornwall, UK. Her writing mission is to rebalance history based on women’s successes and the men who supported them. She does hands-on research of each site mentioned in her books. Her latest novel is Illuminating Darwin: Arabella's Light -a true and grippingly dramatic story about the only woman who was a close friend and book discussant with Charles Darwin. She is currently publishing a historical gothic romance series called, "A Hopeless Dawn" of which book 1, A Hopeless Dawn, is now available! Follow Jill on illgeorgeauthor.com and @jillgeorgeauthor. Jill lives in Pittsburgh, PA, USA with her family.
Editorial Review: “A Hopeless Dawn” (Book One of The Hopeless Dawn Series)
Author: Jill George
“Many have found themselves held captive by the soul-stirring painting A Hopeless Dawn, that Cornish locals and guides refer to as a visual tribute to the legend of a mighty storm that sadly sunk a fishing fleet in 1841, rendering the bustling town of Port Quin a desolate slip of rocks. The pathos etched into every “block style” brush stroke of Frank Bramley’s painting captures the palpable despair of a young woman, and what must have certainly been an entire community, abruptly torn apart by the relentless forces of nature. In fact, the census of 1841 details about one hundred lives in Port Quin; but there were almost none ten years later in 1851.”
“A Hopeless Dawn” by Jill George is set in Cornwall, England in the 1840’s. The story is inspired by a painting of the same name (this reviewer was inspired to Google details of the image – it is haunting!), and is incredibly atmospheric. The narrative revolves around Effy Pengelly, a fisherman’s daughter, and she is at church with her mother. So far, so good, except Effy’s mind is wandering away from the sermon. As well it might, with the suave (is there such a thing as too smooth?) Caden Bolitho waiting to greet/flirt with her, and the recent arrival of William Carlyon into the community.
But this novel is so much more than a love triangle played out on the Cornish coast. The depth of research is evident throughout the narrative, but does not overpower it. Effy is a complex character, and her relationships with her family and others in the village are highly relatable, even allowing for the passage of time. Effy experiences omens, introducing a supernatural element into the storyline. Her assessment of her parents’ marriage and her father’s flaws is eagle-eyed, and George perfectly balances depiction of era-appropriate agency with authentic expectations of women in marriage. Effy’s role as an assistant to Dr Moyle is unexpected and allows her to obtain some medical knowledge that would otherwise be unavailable to her. Some of Effy’s decisions are questionable, but that is the case for any well-drawn female character who has flaws rather than being a “Mary Sue”.
Effy’s father becomes an increasingly sinister figure, and the family dynamics are perilous. Her guilt at what she considers is her failure to interpret the omens she experiences is a formidable emotional weight for her to carry. Without giving too much away, her suitors are quite different from each other, and the gothic undertones of “A Hopeless Dawn” become more obvious as Effy is surrounded by tension and a sense of danger. All is not what it seems!
“Thankfully, Mother was sitting next to my left, her eyes closed in prayer, and I took comfort in her calmness, now and always. Her soft brown curls pulled back neatly in her bonnet, Mother was a devout Methodist, a hard-working dawn to dusk spinner, seamstress, mender, wife, and mother who had lost three children after me and one before. Mother was no stranger to the hard life at Port Quin. I knew that she took the side of the Lord’s and Parson Hocking’s words completely.
Father, sitting on my right, was a contributor to the hard- ships we faced. Why he was here at all at the church today, as he wasn’t usually in attendance? He was sitting particularly close to Cornelia, that tawny haired, pretty but sullen, buxom grain miller’s daughter, younger than me.”
The descriptive language is a standout feature of “A Hopeless Dawn”, particularly the description of the sea, and a tragic fishing expedition. The storyline is an emotional one, and Effy’s first-person narrative and internal thoughts will draw the reader in. The book starts with a chapter about fish; this is clearly a homage to life on the sea, but some readers may find this chapter, and the internal thoughts/contemplation of Chapter One, do not really fit with the fast-paced action of the remainder of the book. Other readers may appreciate the background context.
“I trudged up the slope to the right of the quay, passing smugglers’ caves and hideouts that I had used myself over the years. I ventured uphill all the way to Kellan Head, which was the special place that William, my heart’s desire, and I cherished. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. Far in the distance, the rocks named the Cow and Calf stared back at me with their rocky brown faces. I decided that I had a choice to make, and I needed to make it now: Either let the demons eat away at me or find another way to live.”
“A Hopeless Dawn” is a gothic novel that has strong supernatural elements and a storyline with many surprises! The vague sense of dread at the start of the book becomes a crescendo as deception and danger merge. The author’s detailed historical research will make the reader feel as though they are in a Cornish fishing village, experiencing life and loss through the eyes of Effy Pengelly as she tries to protect herself and those she loves from the forces of evil.
*****
“A Hopeless Dawn” by Jill George receives 4 ½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company
The 2025 HFC Book of the Year contest is now open and you can request an editorial review and a contest entry here: www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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