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Amherst Island
Series · 6 books · 2009-2023

Books in series

The Orphan's Island book cover
#1

The Orphan's Island

2009

1904: Ellen Copley is still a child when she leaves behind the sooty rail yards of Glasgow, and crosses the Atlantic Ocean with a heart full of dreams. Yet within weeks of their arrival in America, her father has disappeared—leaving Ellen with resentful relatives, feeling alone and scared for her future. But then her kind Aunt Rose invites Ellen to stay with her large family, in their rambling house on beautiful Amherst Island, which nestles like a jewel in the blue waters of Lake Ontario. There Ellen finally begins to find the love and acceptance she has long been craving – both from Aunt Rose’s boisterous family, and from the boys next door, Jed and Lucas Lyman. It’s Jed she’s drawn to… the one with the twinkling eyes, who teases her, and laughs with her, and soon steals her heart… But does Jed love her back? Because—even though Amherst Island feels like home—Ellen knows she can’t stay there with a broken heart… This is the first book in the unmissable Amherst Island Trilogy that follows the life and love of Ellen Copley from the magic of Lake Ontario to the bloody battlefields of the First World War and beyond. Perfect for fans of The Oceans Between Us, The Orphan Sisters, and My Name is Eva. Previously published as Down Jasper Lane.
Dreams of the Island book cover
#2

Dreams of the Island

2019

Henry McAvoy leaned forward. “I have been looking for an artist just like you—a diamond in the rough, so to speak. And really, Miss Copley,” he said gently, “what do you have to lose?” 1911, Amherst Island, Canada: When a chance encounter takes Ellen Copley away from the beautiful island she has called home since she was orphaned as a child—she believes it is the new start she has been waiting for. She settles into an exciting, creative new life in Glasgow, feeling like she’s finally finding her independence. And even though she left a part of her heart back on the island, she’s flattered by the attentions of her handsome, charming benefactor, Henry McAvoy. But tragedy strikes their fledgling relationship, and soon after war looms over Europe. Emboldened by all she has loved and lost, Ellen leaves Scotland to become a nurse on the front line. And, as she finds herself having to choose between love and duty, desire and bravery, her courage is tested as never before. The war rages on—and familiar faces appear on the front line, including her childhood sweetheart Jed Lyman and his brother Lucas. Coming face-to-face with her past, Ellen will learn what she is made of. But can she finally decide where her heart truly belongs? Previously published as On Renfrew Street.
Return to the Island book cover
#3

Return to the Island

2021

What would her life look like without her beloved island in it? Where would she go? Ellen had come back here—to the place she felt she belonged—thinking she would stay here. But was it home… or just a place to hide? 1918, Canada: The First World War is over and those who have been fighting in Europe are heading for home, forever changed. Amongst the lost, the damaged and the broken, is former nurse Ellen Copley; who finds herself returning—not to her house in Glasgow, but to her childhood home on Amherst Island. There, she feels sure, in the warm embrace of the McCafferty family, with her beloved Aunt Rose and her cousins, she will feel safe and loved. She will be able to escape the ghosts of the past and her loss, and find peace. But the island is a changed place too. The war has affected life the world over, and Aunt Rose is struggling to keep their small farmstead going. The family’s only hope is asking their neighbours, the Lymans, to help. But Jed Lyman is a broken man, both physically and emotionally, and his once-adoring brother Lucas is now more distant than ever. And as Ellen fights to save the farm, she has to ask: what makes somewhere a home? And—when help comes from an unexpected place—she wonders, has the man she’s destined to love been waiting for her out there all along?
The Island We Left Behind book cover
#4

The Island We Left Behind

2021

“I love you. Of course I do. But we haven’t any choice in the matter, do we? If our little boy’s health, even his survival, is at stake, we have to do whatever it takes.” 1928, New York City: Ellen and Lucas Lyman have made a heart-wrenching decision to leave their beloved Amherst Island behind in search of a new life. The island was once the home of their hearts: where they had met as children, become friends, and over time found love. But New York City was calling, and it was everything they’d hoped for and more. With Lucas making money on the stock market, and Ellen finding fulfilment as a mother, at first they are happy raising their family, together, in the most exciting city in the world. Until their beloved son Jamie becomes perilously ill, and Ellen is given an impossible choice. With Lucas unable to leave his job, it is down to her to take Jamie to a place he might recover even if it means making the journey across America without him. Ellen knows what she must do. What every mother would do to save their child. Even if it takes her further away from the man she loves—and every place she has called home ‑ than ever before. This is the fourth novel in the unmissable Amherst Island series that follows the life and love of a once-orphan girl called Ellen. Set in 1920s New York, California and Canada, it’s an unmissable read, perfect for fans of The Oceans Between Us, The Orphan Sisters, and My Name is Eva.
An Island Far from Home book cover
#5

An Island Far from Home

2023

Rosie realised she loved the man standing before her. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. And if he were to fall in France, heaven help them both, she knew she would not regret one last night with him… 1941, Canada: When Rosie Lyman and her cousin Violet join the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, Rosie is uncertain about leaving her life in Ontario behind and entering a new and challenging world of duty and service. From the moment Rosie signs up, the intensity of the work pushes all thoughts of home from her mind. And when she is selected for officer training and a placement overseas in London, Rosie finds herself swept up into an exciting world of classified postings she could never have imagined… When she meets handsome Lieutenant Thomas Crewe, with sparkling blue eyes and a smile like a movie star, Rosie soon finds herself falling in love for the very first time. With precious moments together restricted to weekends on leave, the pair try to steal as much time together as they can. But when Rosie hears that Thomas’ division is flying in the D-Day invasion, she feels like her heart might break. Will he survive the battle? And can she find the strength within herself to go on if he doesn’t? The fifth novel in the page-turning Amherst Island series, set during the Second World War in Canada and England, this gripping and truly unmissable read is perfect for fans of The Orphan Sisters and My Name is Eva.
The Last Orphan book cover
#6

The Last Orphan

2023

If these children could heal, shouldn’t Rosie be able to as well? What made her grief so strong that it kept her from trying again, from learning to live, to really live, and to love once more? 1945, England : When Rosie Lyman travels to the Lake District as a volunteer to help children rescued from the horror of the concentration camps after the Second World War, she hopes that by caring for the young orphans, she can distract herself from the loss of the man she loves and her beloved daughter. From the moment the children arrive, Rosie is rushed off her feet as she welcomes the new arrivals. But when she notices one particularly quiet girl, who has isolated herself from the other children, Rosie senses a wealth of sadness inside Frieda similar to her own and becomes determined to help her. As she struggles to connect with the young girl, Rosie meets one of the adults traveling with the children, Leon Rosenblat . And although they don’t always see eye to eye, as they begin to care for the orphans, Rosie senses a warmth within him, and soon finds herself thinking about his kind smile, dark hair and glittering brown eyes… But as time passes, Rosie finds her own grief harder to contain. And as she watches Frieda and the other children begin to heal, she realises she must face her own heartbreak and loss. Is Rosie brave enough to share her story? And, if she is, will she finally be able to trust her heart once more? The sixth novel in the unmissable page-turning Amherst Island series, set after the Second World War in England, this unputdownable and truly gripping read is perfect for fans of The Orphan Sisters and My Name is Eva. Readers love Kate Hewitt’s Amherst Island series: “ An incredible book … I didn’t want to stop reading … I fell in love with the island and everyone there. It’s been ages since a book spoke to me as much … It reminds me of the Anne of Green Gables books… or Little House on the Prairie . I cried like a baby several times … One of the best stories I have read .” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “ Simply amazing … Hewitt paints such a vivid picture… I found myself reading it slowly so I could savor everything … I didn’t want the story to end… If you love a sweeping historical fiction story with a character you can’t help but love, then you definitely will want to start this wonderfully amazing series .” Sinfully Wicked Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “ Phenomenal … The descriptions of the landscape and the island are so real … This inspirational historical fiction is a must read .” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “ A tearjerker! The storytelling is wonderful and draws you in . I cried buckets! ” Karen\loves\reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This book was sad, happy, and so well written . I could picture the beautiful island, I could feel the emotions and yes, at one point I cried . I really enjoyed reading this.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “ Omg I love this series. I seriously inhaled the book.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This book had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen with Ellen and those that she loves so much… I cannot wait until I can read the next book.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Amazing… This engrossing page-turner will have you cheering Ellen on and grabbing for the tissues . [She] will feel like a best friend and a sister… This was a great read .” PageTurners Blog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I’ve fallen hard for Ellen and her world… I loved every word of this .” The Book Lovers Boudoir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Authors

Kate Hewitt
Kate Hewitt
Author · 113 books

Kate is the USA Today-bsetselling author of many books of both historical and contemporary fiction. Under the name Katharine Swartz, she is the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell. She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots. Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.

Katharine Swartz
Author · 9 books

Also published under the name Kate Hewitt. After spending three years as a diehard New Yorker, Katharine Swartz now lives in the Lake District with her husband, an Anglican minister, their five children, and a Golden Retriever. She enjoys such novel things as long country walks and chatting with people in the street, and her children love the freedom of village life—although she often has to ring four or five people to figure out where they’ve gone off to! She writes women’s fiction as well as contemporary romance for Mills & Boon Modern under the name Kate Hewitt, and whatever the genre she enjoys delivering a compelling and intensely emotional story. Find out more about her books at www.katharineswartz.com.

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