THE HOUSE ON OCTAVIA STREET

by Jacqueline La Tourrette ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 16, 1984

La Tourrette, author of competent archaeological mystery/romance (The Pompeii Scroll, Shadows in Umbria), hardly raises a single goosebump in this plodding, belabored sliver of psychological suspense--based on a true story from late-19th-century San Francisco. In 1869 young, uneducated Teresa arrives in San Francisco from the East, on the run from her abusive husband Jim (whom she married to get away from abusive foster-parents). And soon Teresa becomes one of many protÉgÉes of beautiful, 45-ish Mary Ellen ""Mammy"" Pleasant, a wealthy woman who gets jobs for blacks and provides young white widows with room, board, and Pygmalion-esque overhauls. What does Mrs. Pleasant have in mind for prize-proteÉgÉe Teresa, who takes well to both bleached-blonde-ness and education? Well, Teresa's not quite sure--though marriage with Mrs. Pleasant's 40-ish business partner, ""Quicksilver King"" Thomas Bell, seems to be a possibility. Adding to Teresa's puzzlement and doubt: rumors about the odd deaths of some of Mammy's hangers-on--and the discovery of Mammy's octoroon background. Then, however, comes an event which will make Teresa a docile Mammy-follower for the next 30 years: jealous, violent husband Jim appears; Teresa shoots him dead; and Mammy arranges a coverup, with witnesses as future blackmail ammunition. (""She could now hold Teresa with both emotions, gratitude and fear, play her like a musical instrument to do her bidding."") So Teresa goes along while ruthless Mammy arranges for Teresa to raise Thomas Bell's supposed illegitimate children. Eventually there's a Thomas/Teresa marriage, in name only, a mask for ""some peculiar mÉnage à trois. . . ."" (Mammy and Thomas are sometime lovers.) Mammy uses Teresa's name on an assortment of shady business papers. And finally, after Thomas' death, there'll be bitter confrontations over his will--with angry illegitimate children attacking Teresa. . . while Mammy still holds blackmail-power over her. A potentially intriguing story, perhaps, but La Tourrette never gets inside her stodgy characters, never goes beyond the most obvious (and repetitious) tensions.

Pub Date: May 16, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Beaufort

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION