I Reach for the Stars

Bestselling British romance novelist Cartland's 600th book is so trivial and haphazardly constructed, one wonders whether her fame rests simply on her productivity. But then, Cartland, 94, writes as she writes, which apparently suits her fans just fine. Her robust personality bursts from every page as she tosses around such names as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Prince Ali Kahn. She pays tribute to selected British royals, among them Lord Mountbatten, who was assassinated in 1979, before they completed the romance novel on which they were collaborating. Cartland's memoir is also a platform from which she extols natural remedies (a morning shot of ginseng sets her up for the day) and makes a fervent pitch for the preservation of the British monarchy--without mentioning the culpability of her one-time step-granddaughter, Princess Di, and husband. Protecting the civil rights of Gypsies is another of Cartland's causes, as is prayer in state-supported schools. Photos. (August)