Tested by Fate (The Nelson Trilogy)
Historical fiction, Sea stories
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
In April 1784, Captain Horatio Nelson, commanding His Majesty&’s frigate Boreas, sets sail from Spithead, bound for the Caribbean to enforce the hated Navigation Acts. While stationed in the Leeward Islands, a dream of domestic happiness leads him to marry… a young widow, Fanny Nesbit. Meanwhile, Emma Lyon, mistress of Charles Grenville, sits as an artist&’s model, her pictures selling briskly. When Grenville&’s uncle, Sir William Hamilton, joins them in Naples, Emma finds herself the object of Hamilton&’s desire. Her eventual marriage to Hamilton seems the epitome of good fortune, opening all the doors of Europe to her.Three years later, Nelson is ordered to carry a letter to King Ferdinand in Naples. There he meets the Hamiltons, and Emma finds herself inexplicably drawn to the brash sea captain.David Donachie&’s compelling dialogue and re-creation of vivid naval battles—Cape St Vincent, Tenerife, and the Nile—are meticulously based on detailed historical research. The toll of war, both physical and emotional, becomes a poignant part of Nelson&’s journey as he battles not only his enemies but also his own inner demons. Despite the hardships, he gains the fame and honor he desperately craves—and the woman he loves.