Jess :)
has 17 followers and is following 22 people
- OH, USA
- member since May 16, 2009
has 17 followers and is following 22 people
Jess :) edited the characters of Catching Fire Tuesday, May 24, 2011.
Jess :) edited the summary of Splendor Sunday, May 23, 2010.
Splendor, the final book of a four part series, is a historical fiction novel filled with ball gowns, scandal and romance. Set in 1889,1900, the book starts out in Cuba, where a wealthy, good-looking young man, by the name of Henry Schoonmaker, is fulfilling military services by steering racing boats, thinking of his Manhattan lover, and drinking the days away. Diana, the other half to the dynamic couple, leaves her home in New York, to chase after him. Protected by the lie that she is at finishing school in Paris, she arrives in Cuba and starts a job as a local bar-tender, continuing to search for Henry.
Meanwhile, several sub-plots are unfolding in Manhattan. Elizabeth, Diana's older sister, finds herself a pregnant widow still living in her mothers' house. Although it is far from agreeable, she is offered marriage by an older family friend. With little options left, she accepts. Soon she discovers her marriage wasn't a favor for her family, but an opportunity for her new husband to gain financial advantage from her position. When she confronts him, he continuously subdues her with opium. Concurrently, Henry's wife, Penelope, struggles with their sour marriage, but her main goal is to gain acceptance and envy with the social elite of Manhattan. Carolina Broad,the former Holland ladie's maid, mysteriously made her way to high society, but her hunger for more money, recognition and stability grows with her success.
The author resolves all of the complicated sub-plots at the end of the book. After Henry's father's death and Penelope's very publicized affair, their marriage dissolves. The independent and spirited Diana abruptly turns down Henry's marriage proposal and sets sail for Paris alone. Carolina has everything she wanted, but her web of deceit is uncovered and she is forced to start a new life with the truth known. Elizabeth escapes serious harm, and finally finds happiness and security with her childhood friend.
Jess :) edited the characters of Fire Friday, January 22, 2010.