Living a loose and glamorous life after being deserted by her father and then her lover, beautiful Cecily Baron, born into one of Jamaica's oldest and most powerful families, returns home and is drawn into a family crisis
At 34 Cecily Baron leads a nomadic existence, free of husband, career, possessions, and emotional entanglements. Yet, when a cryptic telegram arrives alluding to her Aunt Vivie's illness, she flies from London to the family home in Jamaica. She persuades her father, an aging Hollywood actor, also to return to Jamaica, hoping to establish some family intimacy. Unfortunately, half-brother Marsden is maintaining the family fortunes by raising drugs rather than the traditional sugar cane. Impending drug crackdowns, CIA involvements, a native uprising, and a cast of bizarre characters complicate Cecily's plans. Despite, or because of, all of the goings-on, the book lacks unity, and Cecily's state of restlessness and lack of direction is never really resolved. For larger fiction collections. Joan Hinkemeyer, Englewood P.L., Col. Copyright 1987 Cahners Business Information.
Battle's absorbing new novel should prove to be her most successful yet. Thirty-four-year-old Ceci Baron, the beautiful daughter of a once-famous character actor, returns to the family estate in Jamaica, where she finds the Nettleton Plantation in an uproar. Her half-brother and his millionaire fiancee are turning the former great house into a luxury hotel/gambling casino, funded by a mysterious businessman who may have ties to the Mafia. Ceci's Aunt Vivian, the owner of the estate, has retreated into a dream world and the servants are about to revolt. To complicate matters further, Ceci renews a love affair with Paul Strangman, a former prime minister of Jamaica, whose idealism has soured, and who forces Ceci to assess her life. This larger-than-life novel goes beyond the tourist scene to provide a glimpse into the tawdry politics and the drug subculture of Jamaica. Battle (War Brides, Southern Women has the facility and expertise to animate her sweeping saga. 40,000 first printing; $40,000 ad/promo. (February 27) Copyright 1987 Cahners Business Information.
Battle's absorbing new novel should prove to be her most successful yet. Thirty-four-year-old Ceci Baron, the beautiful daughter of a once-famous character actor, returns to the family estate in Jamaica, where she finds the Nettleton Plantation in an uproar. Her half-brother and his millionaire fiancee are turning the former great house into a luxury hotel/gambling casino, funded by a mysterious businessman who may have ties to the Mafia. Ceci's Aunt Vivian, the owner of the estate, has retreated into a dream world and the servants are about to revolt. To complicate matters further, Ceci renews a love affair with Paul Strangman, a former prime minister of Jamaica, whose idealism has soured, and who forces Ceci to assess her life. This larger-than-life novel goes beyond the tourist scene to provide a glimpse into the tawdry politics and the drug subculture of Jamaica. Battle (War Brides, Southern Women has the facility and expertise to animate her sweeping saga. 40,000 first printing; $40,000 ad/promo. (February 27) Copyright 1987 Cahners Business Information.
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