AFTER THE RAINBOW

by Yvonne Kalman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 20, 1990

The seeds of illicit passion are sown again in the fertile ground of 19th-century New Zealand--in this follow-up to Kalman's Mists of Heaven (1988). When last we saw Rhys Morgan, self-made sheep-farming mogul and patriarch of his own estate, he longed for the love of young Lisabeth, daughter of Rhys's former lover and half-sister to his illegitimate son. Now it is nearly 20 years later and Lisabeth has been Rhys's mistress for as many years--despite her hermit-husband's continued existence and the scandalized gossip in Rhys's upper-crust social circles. Until now, Rhys's spoiled-but-pretty daughter, Daisy, has spent much of her childhood away at school--Rhys's way of shielding her from the worst of the social backlash. Daisy blames Lisabeth for her exile; and when Lisabeth's husband finally dies and her long-awaited marriage to Rhys is about to take place, Daisy returns home sickened at the thought of her lifelong rival becoming her stepmother. Furious at her father for abandoning her, Daisy rebels by bathing nude on his wedding day in a nearby pond. She is spotted by young, eligible and handsome newcomer Jeremy Drake, who pursues her through many ensuing pages as she in turn pursues Lisabeth's noble brother, Andrew--until she learns that he's her half-brother and reacts by running off to Scotland to become a doctor. A nude swim, a career as a doctor, and Jeremy's subsequent easy divorce once Daisy agrees to marry him--all stretch reader credibility somewhat as this amiable tale canters to its predictable end. Still, much is possible in this untamed land, and in any case both the beautiful settings and the challenge of sorting out some unusually complicated bloodlines should keep readers sufficiently entertained.

Pub Date: Nov. 20, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1990

Categories: FICTION