cover image Murmur of Rain: Murmur of Rain

Murmur of Rain: Murmur of Rain

Patricia Vaughn. Pocket Books, $5.99 (480pp) ISBN 978-0-671-52004-5

After losing her African mother as a baby and her French father when she's 17, beautiful, coffee-colored Lauren Dufort finds herself alone save for a loving aunt. But it isn't long before she meets Roget de Martier, the second son of one of the preeminent Haitian families. Lauren is not exactly the type anyone expects Roget to marry-she has neither name nor fortune and is far darker than is considered fitting for the Haitian elite-but he does. The question is, why? This is a fine debut, replete with dark secrets, a dastardly brother, beautifully described locales, and lots of details of the not-always-attractive late-19th-century Haitian politics and society. A few more inklings of Roget's grudging love for Lauren would have helped to keep up the romantic tension and made it truly excellent. (Mar.)