Dreams of Paradise

Simon's ( A Taste of Heaven ) accomplished tale is notable for its vividly detailed settings and a heroine with depth of character who grows in stature and ability as a result of her experiences. In 1892, Hazel Merriwether, the refined 23-year-old daughter of an affluent Boston family, vacations with friends in Italy, where a gregarious Italian with the surprising name of Marco MacGregor appoints himself their tour guide. The following summer, when Hazel accompanies her father, a wool mill owner, to Britain, she finds herself in the home of a Scottish baron and his son, none other than the irrepressible Marco. Impatient with Hazel's starchy notions of propriety (including the idea that women needn't understand the source of the money they spend), he teaches her the rudiments of wool-making from sheep to loom--as well as the delights of lovemaking. Returning home, Hazel tries to retreat into innocence and gentility, but her world turns upside down when her father's business fails, leaving her to learn how fragile security can be and the degree of strength necessary for a woman's survival. (Mar.)