Novels by Dolores Savannah Ponin
Daughters of the
Distant Shores
A sweeping historical saga of love, art, and the courage to live beyond borders.
The Trilogy
Daughters of the Distant Shores
Spanning continents and centuries, Daughters of the Distant Shores follows three women from one family whose destinies intertwine across empires, wars, and revolutions. Each novel reveals a different moment in history — and a new way that women turn art into resistance.
From the mystic verses of Rumi in nineteenth-century Istanbul, through the luminous seascapes of Aivazovsky on the Crimean coast, to the restless voice of Hemingway beneath the tropical skies of Florida — the women of this saga are bound by their yearning for freedom, truth, and creation.
Confronting the limits imposed by faith, politics, and love, they discover that the greatest masterpiece of all is the life one dares to claim for oneself.
"A vivid, emotionally rich journey for readers of Elif Shafak, Paula McLain, Kristin Hannah, and Kate Morton."
The Collection
The Books
Emilia: Under the Sky of Rumi
In the heart of the Ottoman Empire, a sheltered young woman is drawn into a hidden world of poetry, desire, and forbidden freedom — forcing her to confront the beliefs that once defined her.
Emilia, the daughter of a Polish rebel, arrives in the Ottoman Empire expecting a life of obedience and restraint. Instead, she enters the intimate, unspoken realms of harems and hammams, where women speak freely and Rumi's verses awaken something wild and questioning within her.
Perfect for readers of: Paula McLain, Lisa See, Elif Shafak
Read on Amazon
Maria: Light Over Crimea
On the shores of Crimea, where beauty and the scars of war collide, a young artist must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for truth, art, and forbidden love.
Maria, Emilia's daughter, grows up by the sea her mother once crossed for freedom. Gifted and restless, she becomes a student of the legendary painter Ivan Aivazovsky and enters a world devoted to light and creation.
Perfect for readers of: Kristin Hannah, Kate Morton, Tatiana de Rosnay
Read on AmazonBook Three
Key West, 1934
Lilianna: The Edge of Paradise
At the sunlit edge of America, a grieving woman meets a restless writer whose brilliance mirrors her own — awakening desire, courage, and the hope of beginning again.
After years marked by loss, Lilianna — daughter of Maria and granddaughter of Emilia — escapes to the far edge of America. In the cafés and ocean-lit bars of Key West, she finds a world alive with storytellers, wanderers, musicians, and dreamers.
Perfect for readers of: Paula McLain, Kristin Harmel, Kate Morton
Read on AmazonThe Author
About Dolores
"Dolores Savannah Ponin is a European author of poetic, research-driven historical fiction."
Her novels explore the inner lives of women navigating love, loss, and identity across eras of profound cultural change. Blending historical accuracy with lyrical sensitivity, she brings to life cross-cultural worlds shaped by art, longing, and spiritual transformation.
A graduate of the University of Warsaw, she studied Polish Culture, American Studies, and Intercultural Relations before devoting herself fully to writing and cultural research.
Daughters of the Distant Shores is her English-language debut series.
When she is not writing, she studies historical sources and travels across Europe in search of places where stories still lie hidden beneath time.
Cultural Studies
University of Warsaw
Oriental Studies
Intercultural Relations
Historical Fiction
Art & Women's History
Visual Journey
Gallery
Explore the worlds that inspired the trilogy — from Ottoman harems to Crimean shores to the sun-drenched cafés of Key West.
Get in Touch
Contact
For press inquiries, speaking engagements, book club visits, or simply to share your thoughts on the trilogy — I would love to hear from you.
Connect
Whether you're a reader, fellow writer, book blogger, journalist, or simply curious about the stories behind the stories — your messages are always welcome.
"Every culture holds a story worth telling."
— Dolores Savannah Ponin