Welcome to Glorious Tuga

Tuga Trilogy #1

by Francesca Segal

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 reader to an island that time forgot, bringing to life a cast of flawed, loveable people, like a contemporary James Herriot beneath the coconut palms.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Book Club, Animals, Audiobook, Adult

322 pages, Hardcover

First published July 2, 2024

About the author

Winner of the 2012 Costa Prize for First Fiction.
Winner of the 2012 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction
Winner of the 2013 Sami Rohr Prize
Winner of the 2013 Premio Letterario Edoardo Kihlgren Opera Prima in Milan
Winner of the 2013 Harold U. Ribalow Prize

Long-listed for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction

Francesca Segal is an award-winning writer and journalist. Her work has appeared in Granta, the Guardian, the Financial Times, and both American and British Vogue, amongst others. She has been a features writer at Tatler, and for three years wrote the Debut Fiction column in the Observer.

Reviews

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could you live on a remote island with only one way on or off every 6 months or so?

After being completely surprised by the genre of Welcome to Glorious Tuga - I’m so glad I have more diverse reads on my list this month. This has happened to me a few times now - especially since starting this account and being exposed to a myriad of genres & it’s such a good feeling to feel refreshed after you read something entirely new! As I look to expand my thoughts and attempt perspectives I’ve never read before - one I’ve never considered was reading from the perspective of a remote islander and what it would be like to come in as an outsider looking to make a life somewhere.

Fitting in and making friends is already hard enough as an adult - and while I thought that was going to be the majority of Segal’s novel - about two-thirds of the way in, there was a major pivot that had me not putting it down until the very end!!

If you love:
- Conservation efforts
- conversations surrounding self/governance of island territories
- Tight-knit communities
- stories of female friendship
... you’ll love this book!! (I also plan on gifting this to a few people before the summer’s end!)

**Welcome to Glorious Tuga also won the Costa First Novel Award and rightly earned! Thank you, Ecco, for sending a copy of this lovely read. All thoughts are my own. - SLR

I started this ARC and in less than 50 pages - I am immediately swept away to the lovely island of Tuga where lush greenery and tropical life abound.

Some random thoughts:
- I can't imagine what kind of life you'd live if you were on an island like this, sequestered away from the world. Who would you really be if you didn't have much outside influence? TV and books can't really explain the world in the way that experience does..
- Could I live in such an isolated way? With access to books and the internet - I feel like anything is possible!!

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about community on a far flung tropical island. Charlotte, a young vet from London, travels to Tuga to study the Gold Coin tortoise, she has a secondary motive that relates to a search for her identity. This might be a great book to read on a beach vacation.
There is a lot of back story on a sizable group of islanders, for me it was a little too much. As with any group not all of them were interesting. As can be expected in a novel with community at its heart, things get messy. Unfortunately, the story seemed to lose focus from time to time, I would have liked to know more about the tortoises or spent more of the characters who could carry a compelling story. This felt like an introduction or the groundwork for a series, if that is the case, I would happily pick up the next installment.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

[Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Dan Zekri hate account now

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Evidently, this will be a trilogy. At the time I wrote this, I did not know, and I didn’t not see anything that indicated it would be.

I felt some things were left unresolved or with puzzling, hastily concluded resolution.

For instance:
1) Did Joan know who Charlotte was? Did she purposely select her for the Gold Coin conservator position bc of her paternity? Was her maternal attitude toward her at the end on purpose? Is that why she left her the ring? Is that why Joan felt such guilt about “not giving” her husband children and going to such lengths to cater to him bc she knew it was her “fault”? Or was it all coincidence?
2) After setting the whole relationship up with the two children and how they refused to be separated, why, then, send the boy off at the end with all melancholic nostalgia about the great and changed life he would lead? When Annie had that chance and denied it so the children could stay together, only then for him to leave and her be stuck there.
3) Also, just a personal preference, but my very literal brain dislikes not having a definitive answer as to how things turn out between Charlotte and the person she chose, as well as if she would stay on the island. What about a resolution regarding her mother?
4) Wait, also, who really gave her the walnut when she was a kid? Did I totally miss some subtext that flew right over my head? Cuz Garrick said he actually never went back and he had no idea what she was talking about.

All told, I really enjoyed this and keep thinking about it. It was an excellent audiobook with a highly skilled narrator. Despite my lingering questions, I like a book you have to think about…even if I rarely have the answers.

[Jade Doodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I really enjoyed reading about the island and the people who live there, I did find the book a little all over the place. I wish it had stuck a little more to Charlotte’s story rather than jumping around to everyone opinions etc. it is a great story of escapism though, and I will definitely check out the next book.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

The setting is the real star here; Tuga is so vividly and lovingly described that I felt completely transported. The tone throughout is warm and easy to sink into, and the writing has a gentle charm.

But I struggled with the characters, who I felt were mostly underdeveloped, other than Charlotte. There were a lot of characters (the glossary at the front was useful!), but I feel like this meant that I never quite connected with any of them in a meaningful way. And then everything suddenly happened in the last 50 pages, which left the ending feeling rushed and a bit unsatisfying.

A lovely atmosphere, but I wish the story and characters had been given more space to breathe.

[Rhonda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually start my reviews with a memorable quote.... This time, I'm afraid to say, there were none.

I can't remember the last time I was this disappointed in a book. There was no point. There was no plot. I am highly confused by the current star rating. Too many characters, none of them likeable. And, I mean, so many characters that dozens of chapters in, more were being introduced. I physically rolled my eyes every time a new character came in. It was both overwhelming and extremely underwhelming at the same time. It finally got somewhat interesting towards the end, but even then, it was unbearably boring. Too many anecdotal stories. Far too many! Like, if a book is made up almost entirely of anecdotes, are they even anecdotes anymore? I don't know. I can't bring my brain to waste any more time on this. Terrible. Completely terrible. The genre tags are all wrong, by the way. Do not, like I did, pick this book up thinking it's about animals. It quickly becomes nothing about that. Don't pick it up for the romance... that's laughable. Don't pick it up for the mystery... there was none. Just don't pick it up at all actually. And what the heck even happened with the tortoises? Just, ugh. No.

[Joy D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set on the island of Tuga de Oro, a fictional British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic, a young veterinarian, Dr. Charlotte Walker, receives a research fellowship to study the endangered tortoises native to the island’s interior. She also hopes to solve a mystery related to her father. It is a mostly character driven story, which introduces many of the island’s eccentric inhabitants. It involves a dual romantic triangle. There are two potential love interests for Charlotte, and one is involved with someone else.

There are many characters to keep straight (a list is provided). I enjoyed meeting the inhabitants of the island, the beautiful setting, the segments related to the tortoises, and the environmental conservation element. Unfortunately, the focus toward the end is on Charlotte’s love life, which includes quite a bit of melodrama. I am not a big fan of romances, but I found enough other content to appreciate. The ending appears to be setting up a sequel.

3.5

[Jayne Southern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so hacked off that Tuga is an imaginary island – I had all but packed and about to book a berth. I loved this book – a marvellous escapist read, with gloriously evocative characters, situations, descriptions. Whilst desperate to read and learn the answer to why Charlotte ran away from her controlling mother to an island thousands of miles away from London, which is only accessible for certain months of the year, I was horrified when I’d finished it! The dialogue is splendid and fun and real, as are all the characters who burst with energy and joy (most of the time) from the pages – and it is with immense relief that I read this is the first in a trilogy - which needs to be a TV series.
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Welcome to Glorious Tuga' courtesy of Random House UK/Chatto & Windus and Netgalley.

[ClaireJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Glorious Tuga was a much welcomed sunny piece of escapism, I had the best time reading it.

Tuga is a fictional island that has a small community of such wonderful wholesome characters. I am gutted that it is a fictional island as I honestly would have loved to visit there!

The writing is a joy to read, comforting and compelling, yet there are secrets a plenty on the island. Charlotte who has travelled to Tuga to study the endangered turtles has her own secrets too that link her to this small island community.

It is the perfect summer read bringing you rays of sunshine through the pages with such beautiful and immersive descriptions of the island. It is uplifting, funny yet emotional and thoughtful.

Welcome To Glorious Tuga is a story about discovering where you belong, friendship, family and love. I am so happy to hear that this is the first in a series as I wasn’t ready to leave behind these fantastic and eccentric characters, so many of them have a piece of my heart.

[Nemesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel made me read past my bedtime - it hadn’t happened in a while! Light and sunny yet emotionally deep, it’s a small paradise in itself.

[Alice Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ no plot, just vibes. But the vibes were wonderful!

[Fran McBookface · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good escapist story and where better to escape to than a tropical island?

Charlotte Walker has travelled to the isolated paradise of Tuga to study the gold coin tortoise.

The Islanders are warm if not slightly eccentric and Charlotte is soon caught up in island life with all its dramas and rituals. Though it might not be quite what she expected, life on Tuga goes a long way to bring Charlotte out of her shell.

Great world building makes it easy to believe in Tuga and long to go there. From the ‘native’ tongue to the local foods it all feels so real. I loved the sense of community on Tuga where its isolated location means people rely on each other and work together for the common good.

It’s warm and it’s humorous and it’s thoroughly entertaining. A really lovely read and I would definitely be up for a return visit to Tuga

[Humaira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it’s very different from what’s out there and definitely fees like another world sometimes with the very different island slang.

You may come for the turtles but you’ll be entranced in the island drama of shifting loyalties and love, betrayal and surprises.

I did feel like it lost its way a bit at the end and the conclusion was confusing but being with the island folk was definitely a respite from real life at times.

Would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the surface, this appears to be another Hallmark-movie-of-the-week-style rom-com novel. But a fascinating & isolated locale, rather complicated and uncomfortable characters with complicated lives, and an ambiguous ending that isn't exactly happy and fulfilling all combine to raise this novel above what might be the usual rom-com expectations into something very interesting indeed. It actually helped that a number of the characters were off-putting & rude...and the response by other characters is snide and sarcastic. In other words, this felt pleasantly like everyday life.

[Maryam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. Although I found it a bit slow in places, the island community and the profound complexity and richness of the characters made up for it. I loved every bit of the island life and the island itself. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume that Tuga was in fact a real place.
Really truly special 🏝️🌷🐢

[Mel Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a bit different to what I was expecting, and even though the story was enjoyable, it was lacking that spark for me I'm afraid.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Lianne (Mama Snark Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I mentioned in a previous post, Welcome to Glorious Tuga was recommended to me by another reader on Substack. (https://substack.com/@kjda) Her rec hit at just the right moment, and I immediately picked up the audiobook.

Welcome to Glorious Tuga: A Novel: Segal, Francesca: 9780063360457: Amazon.com: Books
I am a sucker for books that involve chosen (or foist upon us) family and how everyone learns how to work together to create a better whole. Tuga is a tiny place, so working together is vital to life.

Tuga, an island in the middle of nowhere, kind of sort of near the Caribbean, but sadly not a real island, is the setting for this absolutely delightful novel. Tuga is populated with a very interesting cast of characters, most of whom are from Tuga. Those who are not are called FFA, from far away.

The novel begins with a rocky sea crossing, lots of seasickness, and the introduction of our two main characters. Charlotte is a vet who believes she is going to Tuga to study tortoises, and Dan, a native of Tuga, is returning home to become the island's Chief Medical Officer.

The bulk of the book is about their integration back into the Tuga culture, questionable parentage, conflicting love interests, and the foibles of life anywhere.

This book isn’t perfect. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but somehow, I bonded with most of them. But it’s the energy of the book, the idiosyncrasies of the residents, and the traditions and culture that really sold it for me.

This is the first book in a trilogy, and the second book, Island Calling, will be released June 15, 2025.

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish Tuga were a real island as it sounds delightful! The setting was actually my favourite part of the book.
I did enjoy following Charlotte’s story & that of her new friends but there were so many characters to get my head around and so many seemingly disperate and random happenings I felt it messed with my head a little. There were also a few unresolved issues but apparently this is the first of a trilogy so the unanswered questions are a deliberate.

[Meg Sloan]

Too poorly for book club and unfortunately I do not have the motivation to finish it otherwise 🙃

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect summer reading, definitely for Herriott/Hazel Prior fans.

4.5 stars.

I'm never happy when I see 'first in a trilogy', as I'm really never sure I'm willing to commit three books-worth of reading time to one author/series. Fortunately, this read and ended on a note that could feel fairly complete in itself, but does also leave questions about characters you may want to continue to explore and journey on with.

It's sun dazzled, with a love of animals and island life, a natural world-quirk of eccentricities and the unknown, of hot heat and wet rains, unspoken desires and even some family mystery thrown in.

And an academic who's seasick all the way over to her one-year funded placement on Tuga, an island as remote as it is possible to be. Charlotte is there to study the gold coin tortoises and their important role in the ecology of Tuga. Feeling things for the island doctor who's cared for her on the high seas, himself returning from degree and practice in England after many years away, Charlotte has to adjust to a small population where everyone knows everyone else - and their business. And the island might want her animal knowledge for more than academic research... they have sick animals and no island vet.

With glances into the lives and families of many island residents, the book offers a bigger picture of the history and culture of Tuga, what the isolation and limitations mean to residents, how it has strengthened bonds but also means there is little privacy, where everyone must 'muck in' and where lives intertwine. Sometimes in more ways than expected.

It was lovely, with budding romances, family stories, children and adults so real and likeable, you could almost feel the heatwaves radiating off the page at times. Charlotte was relatable to me (a closet academic) and I loved meeting an eclectic collection of people and island situations.

Not yet sure if I'll read book 2, but I did enjoy meeting the Tugan islanders and understanding more about island life.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set on the fictitious island of Tuga de Oro, we follow Charlotte, a young vet from England, who’s been invited to research the endangered tortoises. Charlotte’s character is quite well developed but there’s a huge cast of more, some of which got lost on me, but there is a handy list to help you keep on track. It was a gentle read and the island setting was actually, glorious! I also loved the small Portuguese connection and words throughout the book.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved how this book wasn’t about exposing a darker side of isolated island life, or showing how being in a tiny community is the best lifestyle possible, but shows the layers of nuance in each family on the island.
As part of that complexity, I loved the myriad POVs, though at times I didn’t catch on that the narration was suddenly back in time until a ways into the chapter (I read via the audiobook so maybe that was part of the problem?) which made some parts confusing.

I LOVE conservation and ecology and zoology which I think is a nice bonus, but not too much of it is dedicated to that science so I don’t think you have to like those subjects to like the book!

I didn’t particularly love the storyline that the author chose to use as the climax of the book, and then it ended rather suddenly afterwards, but this was definitely a story to enjoy along the way instead of trying to reach a particular conclusion. I would have rather read the protagonist having a couple more conversations that were left unresolved on page, but there were context clues for the reader to imagine some resolutions and so I wasn’t super unhappy.

[Cherise Wolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fish out of water story, to a degree, a research vet, Charlotte Walker, running away from home and mother in London to a very isolated island far away, to study turtles, but also to learn whether the secret she's recently uncovered could be true. The ins and outs of the island, its history, its current inhabitants, the novel starts with Charlotte, but it's a multi-voice narrative. A fun read, apparently the first in a series, though it didn't quite mesh together for me. Still, I'd read the next one.

Thanks to Ecco and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Elizabeth Hendron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books falls between several stools - is it a romantic comedy, mystery, commentary on the changes to the environment or highlighting female health issues. It never really gets you gripped as there is too much going on. Huge list of characters at the start which I find off-putting.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful 🥰.

What a pleasure this book was to read. Charlotte Walker is sponsored to live on an isolated island to study a rare tortoise. Her personal mission is to identify her father, whom she has never known.

The island is only accessible a few times a year by boat. Once there, you are there for a while. The islanders are so wonderfully crafted, and their love, kindness, and friendship give you all the feels.

I felt like I was on that island, living the simple life.

[Tamara York · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise for this book is a bit like the Durrells in Corfu meets Miss Benson’s Beetle. I liked the remote island setting and the community but the story execution was lacking. The main character was the flattest in the book. I found all of the side characters more interesting.

[Natalie Street · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have been on a bit of a slow reading run so it took me a little while to get into this. Really enjoyed it once I did, just a cute read about remote island life! Sounds kinda nice ♥️

[Neha Garg (thereadingowl_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. Tuga is a fictional island that’s very inaccessible. People have to spend years and lots of money to book a berth on one of the few ships that go here. But our MC, Charlotte gets lucky when she gets a grant to go and research the rare gold-coin tortoise. She is also hoping to find some personal connection to the island.

While she researches, she also starts fulfilling the duties of a vet there and gets to know the islanders much more. We meet lovable characters through her who have their own stories and struggles. While I didn't like Dan much, who is returning to the island after 16 years of medical training, I loved Margaret, who is a young mother and has faced much in life. My faith in handmade things was reinforced thanks to some parts of it.

The whole story puts you in a summer mood and you feel ready for that beach vacation. For adventure and for self-reflection. I think it’s the perfect pick for a slow summer day. It’s like that comfort movie/series you can binge-watch anytime.

I am very excited to dive into the next part.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful work of escapism! Though I found it not as light-hearted as some reviews suggest, in particular given the dramatic backstories of two of the female characters. I did enjoy the somewhat open ending, however. It matches the rest of the narration which just throws the reader into life on this faraway island, jumping back and forth in time, describing situations and momentary feelings without ever providing the full story of any single one character.

Meanwhile, I was a bit irritated by the fact that Charlotte is almost never on first name terms with anyone, even after several months of working and living closely with the islanders. Maybe the German translation tries to capture an upper-class stiffness on Charlotte's side and the outdated ways of life on the island? Or it is meant to underline the exceptionally close relationships of people raised on the island in contrast to every non-Tugan? For me this made conversations feel a bit off, especially between Charlotte and people of her own age... This might be a pet peeve of mine.

Unfortunately, two situations threw me off right at the beginning of the book: Charlotte speaking her mind in front of Levi and Joan pushing back publicly on her husband. Both were simply described as "first times ever", but the reader, without having gotten to know the usual behaviour of the women, is not able to emotionally grasp the supposedly profound novelty of the situation. And the fact that Charlotte continues to clearly demonstrate her dislike of Levi in the most colourful terms made it even less believable it was her first time speaking her mind in this way.

Finally, as much as I enjoyed reading the book, I would have loved to explore more of Charlotte's character development from sheltered, insecure daughter to independent woman who doesn't need anyone else to define herself.

All in all, I'm looking forwards to the next book in this series!