A sweet , charming historical novella, sadly out of print (my copy was a library copy, with illustrations). It tells the story of a young and naive bride's sea journey to meet the man her family have betrothed her to, and having some enlightening experiences on the way. Sharp has a light and subtle touch to deal with seemingly melodramatic situations (see, for example, how the death of the lover is handed). I particularly like the mynah bird theme, a delightful way to represent the heroine's development to the readers. ( )