Born to one of Jamaica's oldest and most powerful families, Ceci Baron has been rootless since childhood. Two desertions-first by her father and then by Paul Strangman, the idealistic but ambitious political reformer and the only man she ever loved-have driven Ceci from continent to continent, bed to bed, and to a life of self-protection and controlled intimacy. Against her better judgment, she returns to Jamaica and is drawn into a family crisis involving her dominating half-brother, her dangerously eccentric aunt, and her estranged father. But it is Paul who finally exposes Ceci's vulnerability, passion, and strength of character as she becomes entangled in political and emotional intrigue among the seafront villas and shanties of a Jamaica that tourists never see.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Battle's absorbing new novel should prove to be her most successful yet. Thirty-four-year-old Ceci Baron, the beautiful daughter of a once-famous character actor, returns to the family estate in Jamaica, where she finds the Nettleton Plantation in an uproar. Her half-brother and his millionaire fiancee are turning the former great house into a luxury hotel/gambling casino, funded by a mysterious businessman who may have ties to the Mafia. Ceci's Aunt Vivian, the owner of the estate, has retreated into a dream world and the servants are about to revolt. To complicate matters further, Ceci renews a love affair with Paul Strangman, a former prime minister of Jamaica, whose idealism has soured, and who forces Ceci to assess her life. This larger-than-life novel goes beyond the tourist scene to provide a glimpse into the tawdry politics and the drug subculture of Jamaica. Battle (War Brides, Southern Women has the facility and expertise to animate her sweeping saga. 40,000 first printing; $40,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
At 34 Cecily Baron leads a nomadic existence, free of husband, career, possessions, and emotional entanglements. Yet, when a cryptic telegram arrives alluding to her Aunt Vivie's illness, she flies from London to the family home in Jamaica. She persuades her father, an aging Hollywood actor, also to return to Jamaica, hoping to establish some family intimacy. Unfortunately, half-brother Marsden is maintaining the family fortunes by raising drugs rather than the traditional sugar cane. Impending drug crackdowns, CIA involvements, a native uprising, and a cast of bizarre characters complicate Cecily's plans. Despite, or because of, all of the goings-on, the book lacks unity, and Cecily's state of restlessness and lack of direction is never really resolved. For larger fiction collections. Joan Hinkemeyer, Englewood P.L., Col.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good habit to pick up,
By Cville Dad (Catonsville, MD United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Habit of the Blood (Paperback)
Reading Lois Battle's "Habit of the Blood" you'll be transported to the lush Caribbean, underneath of which simmers social and political unrest. This is the story of Ceci Baron, a 30-something with wanderlust and a prestigious family pedigree. After years of travelling, she returns to her native Jamaica to face up to family issues and become reacquainted with the love of her life. There are several interesting story threads, from Ceci's dysfunctional fmaily to her taboo romance with one of Jamaica's prominent leaders. Battle writes wonderful discriptions of Jamaica and very convincing dialogue.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Jamaican punch,
By
This review is from: A Habit of the Blood (Paperback)
Cecily Baron is the daughter of the house of Nettleton, a family who has headed the social and economic life of Jamaica since colonial days when the sugar farming was carried out by slaves. She accompanies her father Archie, a faded minor movie star to a reunion in the plantation house which is now occupied by her aunt, a gently decrepit former grande dame and Marsden, Archie's son by a former marriage. Marsden has great plans to restore the old house to its past glory by turning it into a luxurious casino, backed by the mafia. Cecily is reunited with an old lover Paul,a part Jamaican politician who is activelt trying to end U.S. dominance of the island and who is the target of trouble makers, intent on murder and mayhem.It's a light story which reads a bit like an old Bette Davis melodrama!
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