First off, this is a romance with an African adventure thrown in. A fictional account of a man and his children who try to come to grips with the death of his wife, their mother. All three had their own way of getting on with life and emotional distance from each other creates a void in all of them. They live on a beautiful farm in Zimbabwe. A serious of events changes everything for them.Facts, fiction, history, cultures, and hot steamy romance are blended into a fantasy tale.Find in the story:The romantic aspects: two gorgeous looking people; wealth and breeding; perfect romantic setting.The adventure and suspense aspects: historical facts are bent a little to fit the story line; poaching, politics and high drama from a woman's point of view.This is an African tale through only half rose-tinted glasses. If Wilbur Smith wrote this book, it would have been a totally different onslaught. Only, the story line will be the same with similar elements added to bring more reality into it. Much more reality, with a lot less chic-lit sentimentality added. It is still written with a Wilbur Smith blueprint as starting point, for sure.However, as much as I do not like the sweet nothings and fairy tale approach to the romance in the story ( a personal preference), it is still one of the best African reads in a long time: well-researched, high drama, consistent action, beautiful scenery, brutality and hardship, laughter and tears, heartbreak and sorrow, humor and wit, and animal tales added to make it a perfect African experience. There is nothing too sentimental in this book. Parts of the text contained too much tell and could have been edited out. Perhaps fifty to a hundred pages of it. Stopping at the final 589 pages, the cuts would not have been missed at all. I skipped the flowery parts. Over all though there is not too much frills or fuzz to the narrative. Some of the events are as shocking as others are beautiful. The tale inspires contrasting emotions and every possible emotion is at work. I loved this book. A fast, action-packed, informative adventure, with a woman's onslaught. It worked. It was really brilliant! Simply beautiful! IT COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDPS. Beverly Harper passed away in 2002, before she could witness the recent events in Zimbabwe. It is important to view the story in this context.
