Tiger Lilies

The tiger is Roseen O'Connor; the lily is Flora Dennison. Their bond, when their two separate worlds meet, is Flora's father, whose mistress is Roseen's mother. In this predictable evocation of the girls' personal histories throughout post-WW I England, beautiful Roseen seeks escape from her slum background through sexually uninhibited liaisons. At the same time, privileged Flora dutifully pursues education and a staid marriage, all the while bewildered by her father's obvious favoring of Roseen. His deathbed revelation opens the door for a mature friendship between the two women. Few demands are made on the reader by a story that is lightly entertaining despite some wooden writing. Glover wrote Sisters and Brothers. (June)