I picked this book up partially because of the cover and partially because of the location the story is being told from - Hong Kong. It isn't the most exciting of storylines. It does pick up towards the end, but quite a few sections are moved through so quickly that you don't really grow close to any of the characters. It does, however, draw light on an angle of history not always focused on. ( )

This is a story of love, war, and betrayal set in Hong Kong during the second world war. I had no real idea of what happened in Hong Kong during this time so found this book good from that point of view. It gave a good picture of life in Hong Kong at that time. It is as well a love story between two very different people, Stevie Steiber an American journalist, and a British Major, Harry Field, who has been charged with investigating suspicious activity in the colony. It is a first novel for this author and was a good read, a story that kept me involved, very sad at times to see the effect of war on the lives of individuals. It tells of the sacrifices that individuals may have to make to stay alive and scars that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives if they survive. I found Stevie an interesting character, but would have liked more insight into the character of Harry Field to make their relationship come more alive, but I did enjoy reading it ( )

A good read, if not a slightly predictable love story set against the extraordinary backdrop of what happened in Hong Kong during the war. But a page turner certainly with some interesting (non-love story) twists and characters. It flitted between being beautifullly written, utterly engaging, to being a bit Mills and Boon-esque in places. Unfortunately I had recently read "The Thread" by Victoria Hislop - and book extraordinary both for its back drop AND its love story - which makes this look a little amateurish, so it was always going to have a tough job to keep up there.

That said, read and enjoy, it will suck you in. And I agree with the other reviewer - it really depicts the noise, colour and choas of Hong Kong. ( )

When I first began to read The Harbour, I felt worried. That kind of worried feeling when you realise that you’re at a party and you know absolutely no-one. This book doesn’t muck around – it’s straight into the action. Stevie, the protagonist, is whisked away from a day at Happy Valley racecourse by her Chinese husband Jishang to meet a Chinese matriarch. Why does Stevie want to meet Madame Kung? Why is she in Hong Kong if she loves Shanghai so much?

Patience does pay off though and soon we learn that Stevie is a journalist, hankering to write deeper articles than a day at the races. With Jishang, she runs a political magazine. The more I learned about Stevie, the more I grew to admire her feistiness and her determination. She’s not a conventional heroine – she likes the opium pipe a little too much, but who can resist a girl who keeps a monkey as a pet because it came with the apartment?

Brill is brilliant (pun intended) at creating a spectacular, highly emotional story that twists at unconventional places. When Stevie meets Major Harry Field, it’s lust at first sight, despite his lonely marriage (and her one of convenience). They fall in love quickly, and Stevie is pregnant before we’re even halfway through the book. I admire Brill for having the guts to add a baby (Hal) to the remainder of the narrative. Likewise, the book doesn’t stop abruptly at the end of World War II but continues through the immediate post-war period. The Harbour is also interesting in that it doesn’t dwell on the atrocities occurring in Hong Kong at the time (though it certainly does portray them realistically and horrifically) but carries the strong theme of enduring love throughout.

The Harbour also contains great characters besides the charming but flawed Stevie – my favourite was Lilly, a cousin of Jishang, who is determined to make Stevie into a responsible being through shouting and screaming. Eventually the pair end up the best of friends. Harry is swoon-worthy (sorry Stevie), as he possesses a clever head on his shoulders, as well as an inside understanding of the Japanese. Declan, Stevie’s Irish journalist friend, is charming and turns up at just the right moments.

Brill’s use of language evokes rich scenes in my mind of the horror of Hong Kong after the invasion – Stevie’s desperation to buy powdered milk, others pawing through the rubble of apartment blocks to find loved ones all make me glad that (hopefully) that’s something I won’t have to experience. There were several nights where I thought to myself ‘just one more chapter’ and ended up reading well into the night.

A story of passion, emotion, survival and above all love, The Harbour was a fantastic debut. I’ll be waiting eagerly to see what Francesca Brill has in store next. ( )