I love Sarah Lark's books and by just reading the beginning I am sure I am not going to be disappointed.
It is 1837, and in Raben Steinfeld, Germany, Karl Jensch, a thirteen-year-old boy, tells his master that he can't go to school any longer because his father needs him to work and bring home some money. Kark is sad because he likes studying, and also because he won't see Ida Lange any longer. Ida is a girl he likes, but he knows that it is an impossible dream. He is a poor labourer, and Ida's father is a blacksmith and won't let his daughter marry a poor labourer.
There is a second set of characters. Kitten is also thirteen and lives in the brothel her mother works in. It is in a whaling station in New Zealand. Lately, the owner of the brothel has decided to get her to work, and Priscilla, the prostitute who has always protected her and is his lover, tells him that he can have an auction to get the best bidding for her virginity. Kitten is afraid. She is almost on her own as her mother has never acted as one since she is drunk all the time. The only person who is fond of her is Linda Hempleman, the wife of the whaling station's owner. Linda has taught her German and is kind to her. Kitten thinks that maybe Linda could hire her as a housemaid and that way she will escapte the life in the brothel. Yet, Linda tells her that she is dying, and it will happen soon.
Linda dies the night that the brothel owner, Barker, is announcing that the next day he will be auctioning Kitten. George Hempel tells the man that there won't be any auctioning, as the men need to pay respects to his wife, and he recriminates Kitten what she is doing after everything Linda did for her. Kitten is devastated to hear about Linda's death. Then she overhears a conversation between Captain Clayton and the reverend, who is a dirty man who wanted Kitten. They talk about the bigger whaling station where the reverend can use his teachings better. Besides, the Maori there may be more perceptive. Kitten decides to hide and sneak into the ship as she will get to a town where she can get a decent job.
It is a two-day journey, and when they reach the whaling station, Kitten, who is hidden among the wares Taylor is carrying, sneaks a peek and is disappointed to see that the place is not better than the one she has left. Then the captain drives the reverend to the Maori settlement. It is here that the captain and reverend discover Kitten, and she says that she hid because she wants a decent job. The captain says that there are no towns here. The reverend says that he can marry her, which abhors her, and then the chieftain's sister Te Ronga says that Kitten can stay here with them.
The book jumps in time. It is 1842, and in Germany Karl is struggling with life. His parents and brother are dead, and he can hardly make ends meet. Then he runs into Ida and helps her to carry a sack with bread for a meeting. Ida says that there is a man who is offering men to move to New Zealand, where there is plenty of land for everyone. All they need is 300 pounds for the passage. Now Ida is engaged to one of the Brandmann brothers, and she says that if her husband decides to go, she will go, and if he stays, she will stay.
The meeting takes place and the man leaves some brochures, and after it ends, Ida goes and leaves a brochure under Karl's door. She knows that Karl does not have money for the passage, but she feels he needs to know. I am sure that Karl will do something to emigrate. I wonder how he will do it.
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