The Map of Bones

To say I cried over the ending of the Joubert Family quartet is an understatement. I ugly cried, sobbing when I read the conclusion to a work of historical fiction that only confirmed my appreciation for Kate’s work. in this final instalment, readers will be taken from France to Southern Africa and the Cape of Good Hope where Suzanne and her grandmother look for a new life… and a life they want to know more about. Suzanne in particular is keen to understand the story of her ancestor she-captain Louise Reydon-Joubert. The story jumps to almost 180 years later where, in 1862, Isabelle Lepard, also of the Joubert family, is also tracing Louise’s life, determined to put the women in her family back in the history books. Both stories are daring and courageous, both women showing their family traits of determination and strength in the most difficult of circumstances. It’s a fantastic read and completes the quartet perfectly, almost 400 years of history. Wonderful.

As ever Kate Mosse dependably provides us with a captivating installment of the Joubert family chronicles, following The Ghost Ship.

We follow two timelines from the 1600's and the 1800's following 2 strong female characters.

The strong mix of historical fiction and tense family epic with strong suspenseful storylines will keep you gripped as a stand alone book that makes you want to pick up the other 3 books in the series.

Highly recommended.

Sadly the last book in the Joubert family saga that takes the story to South Africa where we finally find out what happened to Suzanne Joubert. Although a great stand alone I would certainly recommend reading The Burning Chamber’s, The City of Tears and The Ghost Ship first. Great historical novels spanning several countries and years and refreshingly filled with strong women living life on their own terms.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC

This is the last book in the Joubert family chronicles and takes the continuing story to Southern Africa. First Suzanne Joubert arrives after a perilous journey in 1688, determined to find out what happened when her ancestor, the sea captain and pirate Louise Reydon Joubert, arrived at the Cape of Good Hope eighty years earlier and promptly disappeared . Then 180 years later Isabelle Lepard is equally determined to find the story of the intrepid women she is descended from. This fantastic saga is underpinned as always by immaculate research creating an absorbing story that transports the reader to Southern Africa centuries ago.

This is the latest novel in Kate Mosse’s stories about a French Huguenot family's struggle for freedom from persecution, opening in 1688. It takes the reader from La Rochelle to Amsterdam and Cape Colony, South Africa. This is a quest. Suzanne, descendent of Minou from the initial novel, has a mission to discover what happened to her relative Louise. Louise disappeared into South Africa’s interior half a century before. Suzanne, this novel’s protagonist has possession of a diary scribed by Louise and an intriguing tarot card.

The novel is a wonderful collection of vivid scenes linked by a great adventure undertaken by a courageous determined personality. I was as a consequence utterly transported by the characters and their narrative; this is as well as Mosse’s evocative, beautiful writing. The characters represent nobility , strength and determination to survive as immigrants in an alien landscape. They withstand the machinations of dangerous characters such as the brutal Lars Elthrop, ruthless Pieter Odendaal and cruel Kmane. Will Suzanne realise her quest ? Against all odds this is a thrilling journey with many surprises and much jeopardy along the way.

The pace is relentless. The atmosphere is evocative- noisy waterfronts , the castle, the interior, the flora and fauna and weather. There are gentle and brutal contrasts. Always we are reminded of a resourceful people fleeing persecution, not easily accepted in the Dutch colony. We encounter superstition, formidable mountain passes with dangerous shadowy valleys. History and politics inform this novel but are worn lightly and subtly integrated into the narrative. The Map of Bones is a meaningful and apt title. It is my favourite of these books. Page turning and completely original.

The Map of Bones continues the story of the She- Pirate from The Ghost Ship( review here )Louise Joubert and concludes the saga of the Joubert women- a story which spans several generations, and we finally find out who the identity of the kidnapped woman introduced in the earlier books.
As with all of Kate Mosse’s books, the story is rich with historical detail, but this never slows the pace or action. The book is mainly based in an early South Africa where Huguenots have sought refuge from persecution. The story focuses on another strong and independent Joubert woman, Suzanne- a descendent of Minou from The Burning Chamber. But this book felt a lot darker and more tense than the other books.
Suzanne herself is trying to forget her own trauma while investigating what happened to Louise and Giles, sometimes putting herself in danger in a hostile world.
This book can be read as a standalone, the author’s weaves in relevant details from the previous book into the story but I would recommend reading all the books in the series to truly enjoy the conclusion. I found Isabelle Joubert Lepard, the last Joubert woman journey to the discover the truth particular satisfying.
My only disappointment with The Map of Bones is that I have no more books to look forward in the amazing series.

A bittersweet tale, a mix of kindness and brutality, over the centuries. I was mesmerised by this startling adventure. An amazing quest for the truth, by strong women, who put family first. I couldn't put it down.

The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse
I have treasured this series about the Joubert Family and enjoyed every step of their journey from France to Amsterdam, chasing pirates across the ocean and finally ending up in Africa. I adored the story of Louise Joubert in the novel Ghost Ship and was delighted to be able to discover what happened to her after we left her at the end of the last novel. Each book has treated us to the story of strong, independent women and this final book is no exception.
This story opens with the awful events which cause Suzanne and her grandmother to flee their home and set off for South Africa. When Suzanne arrives it is obvious she has something else on her mind apart from settling in Africa - she is on a quest to find out what happened to her ancestor Louise Joubert after she landed in Africa.
Despite the harsh conditions, and the unwillingness of men to assist her, Suzanne pursues her quest and her story is one of courage and persistence. The book is extremely well researched as with all of Kate Mosse’s previous novels and it was a pleasure to immerse myself in the life of the Joubert Family. There is also a section of the story which takes the family story forward to the 1870’s when another member of the family tries to fill in any gaps in the story which Suzanne uncovered.
The book is a real page turner and I almost wanted to slow down so that I didn’t finish the book too quickly. I was pleased to discover what happened to Louise Joubert but sad that this wonderful series is at an end. I look forward to where Kate Mosse will take her readers for their next adventure. I will be recommending the book to all of my book groups and would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

I’ve been following the Joubert Family Chronicles from the start and I’m happy to say Kate Mosse wraps it up beautifully. The Map of Bones follows two more women of the family - Suzanne as she travels to South Africa in 1688 to discover what happened to her ancestor, Louise Reydon Joubert, and finally Isabelle Lepard who makes the same journey in the 1800s to fill in the blanks of the family history. This is a hugely enjoyable book, full of good characters and a well paced story.

The whole series has been a wonderful collection of female characters throughout Huguenot history, the very people who are often left out of the history books. Each one has been fascinating in their own right and The Map of Bones continues that with Suzanne and Isabelle. None of them have been written to appear more modern, just as strong women still operating in the confines and belief systems of the time, and that helps make them more believable.

Kate Mosse is also wonderful at a sense of place. France, the Netherlands and life at sea have all been well represented in the past and the same is true here of South Africa. It’s easy to feel the heat and imagine the landscape and hardships faced by these new arrivals.

This book could be read alone but will certainly be better enjoyed as part of the series so for anyone coming to it afresh, I thoroughly recommend that you go back to the start and enjoy all four books of the series in turn.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This is the final installment of the women of the Joubert family. The author brilliantly portrays the lives of these extraordinary women in such a way that, even in fiction, makes them feel real. A wonderful conclusion to the adventurous and often dangerous lives lead by women long long ago.

I have loved this series following the lives of the women in the Joubert family which moves from France to Holland and finally to South Africa and London.
In the last book the reader was treated to the swashbuckling tale of Louise Reydon Joubert, a captain of a pirate ship, attacking slave traders but it was not clear what happened to her at the end thus leading on to this current book.
In “The Map of Bones” we discover her life after landing in South Africa with her partner Gilles. Spanning hundreds of years this book focuses on Suzanne Joubert who traces her ancestor’s life in the Cape and tries to discover what happened to Louise. 80 years after her disappearance. It is 1687 and Suzanne and her grandmother flee to Holland after a terrible attack on them in France, perpetrated due to their Huguenot beliefs.
From Holland they sail to South Africa and Suzanne searches for references to Louise who made the same journey many years earlier.
The book also features a section set in the 1870s when Isabelle, another Joubert descendant, seeks to fill in the gaps in Suzanne’s knowledge, written down in her notebooks.
There is adventure, romance and much excitement in this extraordinarily well researched book. It was so interesting to read about life in South Africa when the first settlers arrived.
I loved the strong and brave female characters Louise, Suzanne and Isabelle, all women ahead of their own times. They are living the lives they want to live despite being in dangerous situations and in Suzanne’s case being persecuted for religious reasons.
Kate Mosse certainly knows how to tell a story which is both gripping and entertaining. It is a real page turner and I raced through it, determined to find out what happened to all the main protagonists.
I am only sad that this is to be the last book in the Joubert Chronicles but am hopeful that Kate Mosse will produce another wonderful series in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

"The Map of Bones" is the final novel in the Joubert Family Chronicles which started with "The Burning Chambers" and it ties up any loose ends in the saga. This book features 3 strong women in the family; Suzanne, Florence (her grandmother) and Isabelle. This time the main action is in the 1680's and the 1860's, and is mostly set in South Africa. Louis XIV has hounded most of the Huguenots out of France and this time our heroines flee to the newly established Cape Colony, which is controlled by the Dutch.

As well as the emigres some of the indigenous people feature in the story; like the Whites, some are good and others bad. Almost without exception the women are strong characters, fighting the restrictions imposed by men. The story-line is wonderful and far-ranging, and the book is a fitting finale to the saga.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this highly recommended book.