STAR OF RANDEVI

by Marjorie McEvoy ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 2, 1984

The regrettably inevitable sequel to The Sleeping Tiger (1983)--with more quivering tribulations for Indian orphan Andhra, raised by an English couple killed in the Sepoy Mutiny, now the wife of Prince Ranjana (he of the ""splendid shoulders""). The Prince and Andhra have taken possession of Ranjana's new land, the ""Summer Palace"" where Andhra will give birth to little Sanjay; and they have fine Western-style plans for instituting tea culture, for raising both the land's productivity and the lot of the ""coolies."" But glowering not too far away is villainous Uncle Balbir, who intends to snare the Palace for himself: he'll stir up the peasantry through his nasty agents, attempt to have Ranjana shot, and sabotage new machinery. Plus--trouble on the romantic front: English estate-manager Robert is obviously in love with Andhra. (And has Ranjani been casting interested glances at the dancer Rakhee?) Then, leaving Sanjay in the healthier climate of Djarling, Andhra treks off to see her old dying amah--who might know something about her parentage. Just at the crucial moment of revelation, however, the amah dies--after slipping a mysterious pendant to Andhra. She heads for home, is bounced unconscious from a runaway cart, loses her memory, wanders with a group of strolling entertainers, and is rescued by an elderly Maharajah who. . . recognizes the pendant! So, after a reunion with Ranjana, there's a killing, a drought, a kidnapping, a fraught night with Balbir, and an unexpected boost from Rakhee. Gelatinous prose, dime-store plotting: gooey ghee for only the most undiscriminating devotees of romantic/exotic twaddle.

Pub Date: March 2, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION