From Booklist
It's 1917 and Russian dancer Vera Kalanskaya, stranded in Paris, buys herself a ticket out of poverty by stealing both jewels and identity from her ailing employer. Meanwhile, in England, rich Bertie Langham's engagement to Mai Binnington is broken off at the instigation of his formidable mother, Augusta, who is shocked by Mai's association with the suffragettes. Instead, Mai marries Ned Fielding, who reserves his deepest passions for his butterfly collection. Bertie is snared by the mysterious Princess Zhenia Dashkova, none other than Vera with a new name. Children are born but neither marriage is happy, and adultery, divorce, and scandal, not to mention an investigation by a Soviet agent, ensue. There's enough going on in this overstuffed book to fill several volumes in the manner of the
Forsyte Saga. Nothing is explored in depth, and the ending is rushed. But Palmer skims along a surface that's nicely decorated with period detail, and her novel will appeal to readers who like their family sagas with a British accent.
Mary Ellen QuinnCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Agreeably romantic adventures and high living in town and country . . . entertain."
--Kirkus Reviews
". . . nicely decorated with period detail . . . will appeal to readers who like their family sagas with a British accent."
--Booklist
"Palmer, quite adept at portraying English country life, creates another entertaining tale."
--Romantic Times Bookclub