Egrets to the Flames
Barbara Anton
Reviewed by Amy Lignor
Mighty cane fields burning in South Florida
lend a sultry backdrop to this epic family saga. The
Hampton’s
are an influential, privileged family of sugar cane growers. The patriarch of the family, James Henry
Hampton, is not only the core of the family but also of this rich and
vibrant
story. His wife, children, townspeople,
dance around him like moths to a bright and forceful flame.
James is struggling with all his might and determination to
maintain his lifestyle and his immense holdings while at the same time
trying
to keep his family “on the right road.”
To put it mildly, James is a very busy character.
He has a wife AND a mistress; he has a son,
Henry, whose best asset seems to be his willingness and talent at
self-destruction (he marries a field hand’s pregnant daughter). James also has another son, Jeffrey who, with
his beloved wife, faces great losses.
Not to be outdone, the lone daughter, Melisandra, wishes (and
succeeds)
in marring an impoverished prince whose only desire is to rip her
wealth and
security out from underneath her and her family.
These characters wrapped me completely with their inane
humor, their countless mistakes, and their almost ridiculous outlook on
life
that comes from the power of having “too much”.
I loved their decadence and pomposity, as well as the deep, dark
secrets
that old mom had hidden away. For a
brief moment in this book mom to a back seat to her powerful husband
and
wayward children, but I will always remember her as the strong, silent
type
that was determined to take her secrets to the grave.
Like a Danielle Steele epic, Barbara Anton’s novel is
steamy, riveting, and so beautifully written that the reader is pulled
into
this family. It’s as if we are watching
from the walls of this family’s mansion as their lives interweave and
collapse
right before our eyes.
The only sad part to report about this novel is that the
author passed away in May of 2007. I,
among many after reading this book, can feel the loss of a great talent
to the
industry. Side note to the readers: Barbara Anton wrote many plays (thirty-six of
which were produced in New York);
has written poetry and short stories and won hundreds of awards for her
work. My suggestion to you:
If they are all even a quarter as creative as
this book, I suggest we all run out and find anything and everything in
the
“card catalogue” that came from this eloquent writer’s mind.