A Distant Hope — Ellin Carsta

In this breathtaking and emotional saga, a family must travel far from home to save what they hold dear.

Hamburg 1888: After thirty prosperous years, coffee importer Peter Hansen & Sons faces hard times -- and certain bankruptcy -- unless three brothers can make savvy moves to save the faltering business after their father's untimely death. For Robert Hansen, that means meeting changing demands by following the future from Vienna to Africa. He relocates his family to the German colony of Cameroon and takes ownership of a cocoa plantation.

With a spirit as adventurous as her father's, Robert's fifteen-year-old daughter Luise discovers an exciting new world far from the strictures of Hamburg society. The Duala people and the breathtaking natural beauty speak to her true soul. But not all are open to the culture or the challenges awaiting them in this foreign land. Soon bitter rivalries and shocking betrayals tear at the very fabric of the Hansen family, even as Luise discovers the powerful love of a young local man. It will defy the expectations of her family, rouse fearful beliefs, and force her to make a decision that will change her life.