Return to Drumveyn [Paperback]

Alexandra Raife (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2002

Cristi is left an unexpected legacy by her late grandfather. She has had no contact with her mother's family since leaving Brazil as a child; they are strangers who have remained silent, hostile and inaccessible. In the light of this, coming into a startling sum of money as well as a cattle ranch is not only confusing, but merits a visit to Brazil. This means leaving her beloved Drumveyn and Dougal. And when Dougal learns that Cristi is an heiress he feels that the gulf between them has become far too wide to cross. During her Brazilian interlude, Cristi is very attracted to her handsome cousin, Luis, until she discovers he's only after her money. So she returns to Drumveyn to persuade Dougal that they have a future together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

On THE WEDDING GIFT: 'It is the country as much as the vividly portrayed people that jumps out to grab the reader's attention' -- Coventry Evening Telegraph On SUN ON SNOW: 'Has a most appealing character as its heroine' -- Vanessa Berridge, Woman & Home On BELONGING: 'This book has all the emotions ... we have come to expect from Alexandra Raife's characters' -- Woman's Weekly 'A lovely story with an unconventional twist and a very readable novel' -- The Times On THE LARACH: 'A real find ... The genuine storyteller's flair' -- Mary Stewart 'A welcome new storyteller' -- Rosamunde Pilcher 'The power of a natural born storyteller' -- The Lady

About the Author

Alexandra Raife has lived abroad in many countries and worked at a variety of jobs, including a six-year commission in the RAF and many years co-running a Highland hotel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Coronet (June 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034082235X
• ISBN-13: 978-0340822357
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,122,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Execellent follow-up book, April 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Return to Drumveyn (Hardcover)

This book is a continuation to Alexandra Raife's "Drumveyn". The main character is 23 yr old Cristi, the adopted daughter of Archie and Paulie. Just out of college, Cristi unexpectantly inherits a legacy from her mother's family in Brazil. She returns to Brazil to a family she never really knew, and to figure out what to do with her inheritance and what to do with the rest of her life. Will she stay in Brazil or will she return to her love Dougal and her family in Scotland? An enjoyable story, with a little romance, highlights the need for for family and the need for belonging. The story-telling is much like Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great follow up to Drumveyn or on its own..., August 22, 2005

By 

skisno "skisno" (Hollis, NH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Return to Drumveyn (Paperback)

I've read Pilcher and Binchy and I believe that Alexandra Raife's books are more heartfelt and touching. The people are real and the plots are less a morality tale then those of the other authors to which Raife is compared. Not that a morality tale is a bad thing, but the evolution of the characters in Alexandra Raife's books seem to be more organic, less crafted to reach a certain deserved end.

This book is a continuation of the Drumveyn book. The main characters of that book: Madeline, Tom, Archie and Paulie are only lightly dealt with however. Cristi and Dougal are the main characters in this book. So, if you did not read Drumveyn, you can still read and enjoy this book. However if you did read Drumveyn, it is satisfying to read a little more about the characters from Drumveyn, especially Archie and Paulie-two of my favorite characters from that book.

The rich descriptions of Brazil are a treat and a different setting from Raife's other books which mostly take place in the Scottish highlands. This is a different book in other ways from her other books. Not just the setting, but the relative youth of the characters. Cristi and Dougal are in their early twenties and at the beginning of their lives. Both don't know what they want and are very much aware of the difference in their class. As an American, I found this discussion of class difference and how it affected Cristi and Dougal's choices very interesting.

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone can change, April 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Return to Drumveyn (Hardcover)

Set in Scottland, this is a story of change in one family. Sir Charles dies and his wife Madilane realizes that for 26 years, she has had no life of her own. So begins the story that has a facinating cast of personalities. Lisa returns home in need of support and peace with a surprise in tow. Archie, with his distant wife Cecil are expecting their first and are having their own problems. This is one of those stories where you root for the person who is changing and the roadblocks that are overcome, eagerly encouraging them on. This is a feel good story and one that puts the emphasis on character, rather than sex, sex, sex. Don't get me wrong, there is romance here and it it the most down to earth, believable kind of romance.