Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal

The fictional south Atlantic island of Tuga de Oro is inaccessible to ships for several months every year. Island Open Day is a cause for celebration, as it brings ships with long waited cargo, FFA (folk from away) and returning Tugans. Seasick Charlotte Walker arrives at Island Close, which is celebrated with fireworks. Charlotte is a young vet who is spending a year on Tuga to study gold coin tortoises. Tugan Dr. Dan Zekri is returning so his Uncle Saul can retire. At the same time, a mother leaves the island for a job and an 11-year-old is headed to boarding school. The family connections are a bit bewildering at first to Charlotte (the reader has a list of characters and how they’re related), but she gets a warmer welcome than Dr. Dan, especially when she is willing to use her veterinary skills as well as research the tortoises. Next comes Katie, a physiotherapist who’s more in love with island life than her Tugan sweetheart. Secrets, dramas, history, and the gorgeous island itself are all part of the storyline. This is a vivid, compelling read that is hard to put down.

Brenda