Flowers in the Blood

Courter, Gay

ISBN 10: 0525248978 / ISBN 13: 9780525248972

Published by Dutton, 1990

Signed. First Edition. First printing, stated. SIGNED by author on title page. Jacket spine faded. Minor shelf wear. Pages/boards/jacket clean. Seller Inventory # mon0003235159

Synopsis:

An epic novel of a Jewish family living in Victorian India explores the opium-laced opulence and illicit activities of nineteenth-century Calcutta

Reviews: YA-- An epic, well-researched historical novel of the life of a wealthy Jewish family set in 19th-century India. The first-person narration grabs readers from the start with the murder of the mother of the main character, Dinah Sassoon. Readers then follow Dinah's life for a half century through her loveless first marriage, to her stormy romance with her second husband. The book takes YAs from the crowded streets of Calcutta to the serene mountains of Darjeeling, through the exotic world of India's flourishing opium trade to the business world of Hong Kong. Through this book, readers will gain insight into India's culture, cuisine, and lifestyle while enjoying a romantic, adventurous novel.
- Roberta Lisker, W. T. Woodson High Sch . , Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

First met at the turn of the century, Dinah Sassoon, heroine of Courter's fourth novel (after River of Dreams ), is a member of one of Calcutta's richest Jewish families, its fortune built on opium trading. Her opium- and sex-addicted mother is murdered by a jealous lover early on in this hefty volume; Dinah herself acquires two husbands (the first is homosexual, the second satisfyingly ardent), has a run-in with a dissolute and wily maharajah, and takes control of the family business in an attempt to legitimize its interests. By all rights, these ingredients should add up to heady reading, but Dinah is a bloodless narrator, merely shuffled from one incident to another. Courter scatters italicized words and phrases as if to exhibit her extensive research of the place and period (one wonders, however, how even the most curious reader can be edified by such sentences as "When the spoon glowed, the cook was told to hold a large dekchi , or pot, over my head"). Its literary shortcomings aside, the book has plenty of commercial potential, and may prove attractive to those who like elaborate romance in exotic settings. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Beautiful, headstrong Dinah Sassoon belongs to one of the richest, most influential families in Calcutta. But even her family cannot protect her from the scandal and shame she must endure after her mother's brutal murder. And all of her woes and wealth in life come from one source--opium. As Dinah struggles to overcome her past and find happiness, she must also contend with and overcome the influences of the opium trade on her family and her fate. Set in the waning years of 19th-century India, this well-researched novel depicts in rich detail the culture and customs of the enclave of Arabic Jews living in Calcutta. Recommended historical fiction.
- Leslie A. Bleil, Western Michigan Univ. Libs., Kalamazoo
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Flowers in the Blood
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: 1990
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Good
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition