Aussie Book Review: Savannah Winds by Tamara McKinley

 Savannah Winds by Tamara McKinleyPaperbackReview copy provided by publisherHachette, September 2014Synopsis- When Fleur receives word of a surprise inheritance from an aunt she never knew, it couldn't come at a more opportune moment. Her relationship is crumbling, and she's caught in the middle of a serious family rift. Consulting her aunt's long-lost diary, Fleur sets out on a voyage of historical discovery up the coast and through the Gulf Country, to the isolated cattle ranch Savannah Winds. But unbeknownst to Fleur, what she uncovers there could have devastating repercussions for her own life. Set between the 1930s and the modern day, Savannah Winds is an exploration of family ties, bitter rivalry and the strength of enduring love.

Review- Tamara McKinley is a well-established Australian author whose books I have seen around for many years. In fact Dreamscapes has sat on my TBR shelf for some time. Savannah Winds is McKinley’s most recent novel and is set in the present day.

Fleur’s life has come to a junction, she’s at a point in her life where starting a family is most desirable, however for her paediatrician boyfriend it’s not on the cards and never will be. Just when Fleur is faced with one of the biggest decisions of her life-to stay in the relationship or leave- she inherits two properties from an estranged aunt, turning her life completely upside down.

 On a ‘break’ from her boyfriend, Fleur takes off to Far North QLD to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death, her father’s fables and why her Aunt was not only estranged but left a hefty inheritance to a niece whom she had no relationship with.

Simultaneously, as Fleur uncovers her family history, her boyfriend Greg digs into his childhood trauma and unravels the reason for his aversion to have a child. He reluctantly traipses through his own past in search of the answers for his future.

While the premise for Savannah Winds was enticing, I just didn’t enjoy this story as much as I’d hoped. It was an interesting storyline, the characters were interesting-both past and present- but I felt disappointingly unconnected to Fleur and her boyfriend. I’m not sure how to explain it other than just a feeling of detachment-whether it be down to characterisation or writing style -I’m not sure. The disconnection to the main characters made it difficult to enjoy the overall story, no matter how fascinating the plot was.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t recommend it, as it probably comes down to my own personal experience of the story. I’d be interested to hear what other readers have thought of Savannah Winds and I’d still like to give Dreamscapes a go and see what that’s like.

Overall Rating

3/5

"It was okay"

Savannah Winds can be purchased from Fishpond and other leading book retailers

This book was read as part of the AWW2014 challenge: