East of the Sun [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara Bickmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 1990

"A grand historical romance . . . Filled with passions, heartbreak and death." Chicago Sun-Times.
Liliane. Carolyn. Courtney. For half a century, they would devote themselves to the people of Simbayo, women healers bringing faith and hope to a beleaguered land . . . and to each other.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bickmore debuts with a historical romance loosely based on the tumultuous history of 20th century Africa amid the dismantling of European colonialism. The bloodshed accompanying the founding of Zaire, the increasing polarization of races within South Africa, crushing famines and even the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic are seen through the eyes of Liliane Wentworth, a young missionary who ventures to Simbayo, a fictional medical settlement in the Congo, and remains in Africa for six decades. Liliane's is, at heart, a simple and well-told love story, though the only affections that death does not ultimately steal are her ties to Africa and the devotion of her granddaughter. Bickmore weaves the historical events around the central fictional narrative with great skill and restraint. Her characters are neither partisans nor zealots; their first intent, always, is to ease the suffering of those whose homeland is subject to the whims of rough climate and even harsher political conditions. Bickmore's prose is lean and unsentimental, her descriptions of Africa and its people compassionate but not condescending. While the entertainment value of her romance is never sacrificed to historical veracity, the factual past is also not bent to an unrecognizable shape in the service of commercial fiction. $150,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"A grand historical romance . . . Filled with passions, heartbreak and death." Chicago Sun-Times.
Liliane. Carolyn. Courtney. For half a century, they would devote themselves to the people of Simbayo, women healers bringing faith and hope to a beleaguered land . . . and to each other.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ivy Books (October 29, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804107300
• ISBN-13: 978-0804107303
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BARBARA BICKMORE wrote her first short story at seven and has been writing ever since. Her first book EAST OF THE SUN was published in 1988.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it more than once!, January 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: East of the Sun (Paperback)

I've read this book several times over the last 10 years. This time, it had been packed away after a move and I hadn't seen it in quite a while. When I pulled it out of a box I was searching through for something else, I immediately sat down to read it again. I would love to pass it on to my daughter, who is 14, but I had forgotten about some of the more "romantic" scenes. Someday, though, I know she'll enjoy it as much as I have. This is just one of those books that you carry with you forever. Treat yourself to this one and you'll be glad you did.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Independent Women, January 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: East of the Sun (Paperback)

I'm always looking for books about Africa. The fact that Ms. Bickmore has never been to Africa was an initial turn-off. It's strange to me that she didn't travel there before using it as a setting for her book. So I think that her descriptions of Africa was what a well-read American would expect. From my limited travel in African (five trips to East and South Africa), I'd say she did that part pretty well.

As to the story itself, it's all about indendent women and the price they pay for that independence. Her three women all married (or committed) too young!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An avid reader's dream...youll read this book very fast!, July 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: East of the Sun (Mass Market Paperback)

The plot for a typical romance novel is a vehicle for , to put it blatantly, gratuitous sex. I am an avid reader of all types of books, but romance is my main focus. However, instead of picking up the latest stereotypical bodice-ripper, I search for the unique. Bypassing novels with titles such as "Tempestous Yearning Desire" and "Love's Fierce Passionate Heat" , Bickmore's book "East of the Sun" caught my eye. I read the back cover and thought, "This will be one I have to fight through", because the plot describtion was not very flattering. However, with the first words I was hooked. This book is one of those rare finds that causes you to curl up somewhere, forget reality and read for 6 hours straight. Bickmore immediately establishes a talent for suprise and plot twists. My roomate would hear me gasp, laugh, or see me gape at the pages. Also, "East of the Sun" gave me a respect and interest into the African Culture; after the last words I felt as though the book contributed to my own wordly knowledge. Not many authors attack the still mysterious African culture and history. For the romance readers (which make up 40% of the market) there are sex scenes aplenty, but all are tastefully done. This novel is one of the jewels of my book collection, and I will (and have!) recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone. "East of the Sun" is a journey, and Bickmore, with talent, in-depth knowledge of her subjects, and flair of the English language, brings us to love and admire Liliane Hathaway, her children, and the people that live in the heart of Africa