Martha Grimm has a sorrowful secret, and her daughter Mary Ann is the only other person in New Zealand who knows it. Growing up dirt-poor in Willoughby, Warwickshire, in 1814, Martha dared to imagine a different life. Now she is a wealthy and respectable Wellington settler half a world away. But the cost has been high. Martha cannot speak of the past nor the people she left behind. Lewisville is a novel based on true events. It is a story of one woman's ambition, of escape and reinvention, and the bittersweet consequences of achieving one's dreams. "You must promise me, if this man approaches you, you will have nothing to do with him. Tell him you have no idea what he is talking about; faint to the floor if you must. But don't let him say anything that could unravel our lives here. Promise me!"
Author Biography
Alexandra Tidswell is a seventh generation New Zealander. She has an LLB and a BA in Maori from Otago University, and is a former diplomat. She has always been interested in the stories of early New Zealand and how they've shaped our culture. She is a partner in Kia Maia Bicultural Communications, where she creates interactive bicultural training software. Alexandra lives in Nelson with her husband and two children. This is her first novel.
