"A Silent Ocean Away" by DeVa Gantt

A Silent Ocean Away: Colette's Dominion
DeVa Gantt
Avon Books
ISBN: 978-0-06-157823-6

Part Gone with the Wind, part Jane Austen drama, A Silent Ocean Away has the range of an epic and the feel of a period novel of manners created many years ago. This historical novel, set in the early 1800s, begins with a long list of characters who will populate the book, as well as two others (to come) in this trilogy of the Duvoisin family. The heroine of the story is Charmaine Ryan, the family’s governess, who comes into the maelstrom of this family seeking to find a new life for herself after escaping her own difficult childhood.

Can she find a place for herself in the tropical island setting? She has arrived from Richmond, Virginia, wary of her own capabilities and haunted by the actions of her father. Her spirit and determination will surely be tested by this quarrelsome family. Everyone in the Duvoisin family seems to be battling their own inner demons, struggling for a place, and in that sense, Charmaine too, fits easily into this family drama.

There are struggles between father and son, with the patriarch of the family, Frederic, secluded away in his waning years. There are struggles between brothers Paul and John, both for inheritance and the affection of their father. There is a new generation of Duvoisins, born to Frederic and his second wife Colette, who the new governess must love and guide as the family falls apart. And there are the romantic struggles that engulf both the senior and younger Duvoisins.

There’s plenty of meddling and power struggles in this wealthy clan, not only inside the family but also in their business dealings. In addition to Caribbean land and crops, they own a shipping business that operates out of Virginia. Yet it is the internal struggles and secrets of the family members that keep the storyline afloat, and keep readers turning the pages.

For those who enjoy historical novels, stories with a long range and lots of character development, A Silent Ocean Away is sure to please. The biggest challenge will be awaiting the next volume’s appearance so see where the story takes its readers, although there is some foreshadowing toward the end of this volume, as well as a sample chapter from the next book, Decision and Destiny.