The White Oleander

by Kathryn Blair

1976 printing some reading and age related wear - may have some writing. Orders ship quickly. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373006675
• ISBN13: 9780373006670
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: HARLEQUIN
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful, Exotic Romance

Kathryn Blair is one of my all-time favorite authors. She wrote for Harlequin in the 50s, 60s and even the early 70s. In general, her books feature an English heroine who travels abroad (usually to Africa or southern Asia) and, of course, falls in love. White Oleander takes place on an island in Portuguese Africa. The heroine, Laurie, arrives ready to live with her sister, Stella, and care for her ailing nephew. Her sister, however, greets her with the news that she snagged her husband by pretending to be alone in the world; Stella has no intention of acknowledging her sister and threatens to cut off their father's monthly check if Laurie tries to tell anyone. Laurie, being a sensitive soul, is devastated and in her devastation, goes for a walk. During the walk she meets a mysterious, aristocratic, handsome gentleman who turns out to be both Laurie's nephew's godfather and good friends of Stella and Stella's husband. The man, a marquez, arranges for Laurie and her nephew to live on a house on his property while Stella and her husband are away. The move brings Laurie and the marquez into each others' lives, to great effect. However, the marquez does not know that Laurie is Stella's sister and there are the added complications of the young widow everyone is expecting the marquez to marry and a young man from Laurie's past. In Blair's books, there's always an unscrupulous young man who loves the heroine. White Oleander is no exception. In this case, because the young man is someone Laurie knew in England, he knows her secret. This is a fact which ultimately causes Laurie a great deal of pain. In the end, however, she is rewarded. To find out how, read it!