Bright and Distant Shores

Set against the backdrop of 1890s Chicago and the South Pacific, this sweeping historical novel follows an expedition sponsored by a Chicago insurance magnate to collect tribal artifacts and natives to commemorate the city's tallest skyscraper. The story intertwines the lives of two orphans—one from Chicago's South Side and the other from the New Hebrides—whose journeys and pasts collide amid the expedition’s exploration of cultural boundaries. Known for its rich storytelling and historical depth, the novel evokes the works of classic writers like Melville and Stevenson.