title: Island in the East
author: Ashcroft, Jenny
description: 'Beautifully written and impressively researched,  Island in the East  is a stunner. Emotional, evocative and enthralling.'  Kate Furnivall      'Evocative, absorbing. . . A rich and satisfying read'  Gill Paul     'Historical fiction at its atmospheric best'   Red      'A moving, stirring love story, and so richly atmospheric. I could practically feel the sweat prickling on my skin'  Rachel Rhys    With a sizzling love affair playing out against sisterly rivalry and epic family drama,  Island in the East  is the perfect read for fans of  Victoria Hislop ,  Dinah Jefferies  and  Tracy Rees .        **************     Two great loves. One shattering betrayal. A war that changes everything .      Singapore, 1897    Harriet and Mae Grafton are twenty-year-old identical twins born from a scandalous affair. They grew up in India slighted by gossip and ostracised from polite society. They had each other and that was enough. But when their wealthy benefactor sends them to Singapore, they meet the mysterious Alex Blake and their relationship fractures with devastating consequences.     1941    Ivy Harcourt is posted to wartime Singapore amid the looming threat of Japanese invasion. Ivy knows the island will be a far cry from war-torn London, but she is totally unprepared for what awaits her: strangers from her grandmother Mae's past, an unstoppable love affair and a shattering secret that's been waiting to be uncovered . . .       Vivid, authentic and utterly beautiful,  Island in the East  is evocative, atmospheric and romantic historical fiction at its very best.         Praise for Jenny Ashcroft:    'Exotic and mysterious - I was gripped by this complex tale'  Dinah Jefferies  'Beautifully described . . . A moving love story'  Tracy Rees  'It's impossible to put this book down.'  Kate Riordan  'A great read.'  Judith Lennox   'A summer must-read'   Red   'Love, sisterly rivalry and betrayal are themes in this epic tale'   My Weekly   'Brilliant; everything romantic historical fiction should be.'  Nicola Cornick  'Absolutely brilliant'  Kerry Fisher  'Completely entrancing . . . Perfect escapism, beautifully written.'  Emma Rous    'Evocative, lush and beautifully written, Island in the East is a gripping read.'  Nikola Scott  'First-class writing, brilliant characters, fascinating locations and gripping plots'  Tracy Buchanan  'Exquisitely written . . . unputdownable and unforgettable'  Iona Grey     'A wonderful novel, full of mystery that kept me gripped until the end'  Rachel Burton