Welcome to Glorious Tuga

A Novel

By: Francesca Segal

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton

A bighearted, binge-worthy work, set on a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean about love, community, and what it means to come home.

Passionate about conservation and fleeing an argument with her mother, newly qualified London vet Charlotte Walker has taken up a fellowship on the tiny South Atlantic island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered gold coin tortoises in the jungle interior. She can claim the best of reasons for this year in paradise—What better motivation than to save a species?—but the reality is more complex. For Charlotte has secretly come to believe that she has her own connection to this remote and eccentric community, and she is finally determined to solve the mystery that has dominated her life.

But she will have little time for any of her declared or covert investigations. She is inconveniently attracted to the new island doctor. And not only do Tuga’s tortoises need attention but so too do the island’s dogs, goats, and donkeys—not to mention the islanders themselves, determined to win Charlotte over with cake and homemade jam until she relents and becomes vet to all their animals.

A complete, vivid world unto itself, Welcome to Glorious Tuga is a bewitching combination of warmth and humor. Immersive and uplifting, it transports the listener to an island that time forgot, bringing to life a cast of flawed, loveable people, like a contemporary James Herriot beneath the coconut palms.

©2024 Francesca Segal (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Cozy story set on tiny pacific island

There are several story lines; the main one revolves around Charlotte, a young scientist (zoologist/vet) who leaves England, and travels to the fictional island of Tuga to study the native tortoises and to find herself. In the process, she sorts out some family trauma, seeks to discover the identity of her father, learns to care about other people, and falls in love with two very different men. We get a glimpse of island life and are introduced to a variety of sympathetic characters.
My spouse and I listened to this at bedtime, for which it was ideal. It seems to me (although I think this about most books I read) that this book could really have been improved by some strong editing. Not necessarily to cut out passages, but to better introduce characters and better present jumps in time. Frequently in the first half of the book I wasnt sure when things were happening or who were the characters being discussed. I recommend it if you are looking for a light read with a cozy island vibe. The narrator has a nice voice but the islanders dialects were inconsistent and a bit odd. Several sounded hispanic to me, although the island is in the middle of the pacific.

Great read- cute love story great insight to island life. Loved it!

Loved listening to yo this before bed- the story takes you to a peaceful place. Great love story (ies) and love the details of living on a remote island. Really enjoyed this read-

The gentle story

Liked the audio presentation of this book, Welcome to Glorious Tuga it was easy to listen to and enjoy.

Enjoyable but problematic

I love the world-building here. The conception of the island and its inhabitants is very compelling. However, the book could’ve used some editing around the ending. It was incredibly misguided. I think the author was trying to find a profound way to end the story and took a misstep. It was not a necessary conclusion.

The narrator is excellent.