TBT: A Spear of Summer Grass

Summary (via Goodreads):
Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savannah manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming-yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders-and dangers-of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for-and what she can no longer live without.

Review (4/5 stars): When I opened this book and read the publisher's information (yes, I'm geeky that way), I almost didn't continue because it said it was a Harlequin book. But the cover art and the excellent book reviews I had read so intrigued me that I decided to give it a chance for a least a chapter or two, and I'm so glad that I did.

This book will whisk you away to a time and place that was filled with adventure, romance, and intrigue. The main character, Delilah, is one of those woman who every woman wishes she were and every many wishes he could have. She's beautiful, witty, rich, outspoken, and even, from time to time, quite smart and independent.

Delilah develops all of her smart aleck tricks from years of trying to hide her broken heart. It's starting to sound like a Harlequin romance, but trust me, it's deeper than that.

When Delilah is forced to relocate to the wilds of Kenya for a year, we meet a woman who is loving and kind, open minded, someone who believes in compassion, equality, and respect for others.

Or course, she gets into all kinds of drama with the others in the established expat community, all character who only add to the story.

I'm not sure if it was the time period, Delilah, or the African setting, but I really did enjoy this book and looked forward every time I picked it up to going back in time. A time when people dressed up for dinner, even though they were living in the bushes in Africa. A time when men knew how to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress. A time when even proper ladies knew how to have one heck of a good time.

If you're a fan of Out of Africa, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.