Harvest Moon

Laurie, son of a local ne'er-do-well lordling, and John, son of the well-to-do Hovertons, grow up like brothers on the Hoverton's Bees-wing Farm in England in the early 20th century. The boys revel in their country lifestyle, befriending Foxy Lockett, the playful tomboy who tags along with the hops-pickers who arrive at harvest time each year. The idyll is broken, however, when Laurie's father abruptly demands that his son, now college-age, move into the family manor. Discovering that his father is after his trust fund inheritance, Laurie grows up fast and begins to attend to the decrepit (and haunted) house that will one day be his. Matters complicate as Laurie falls in love with a Spanish girl, who lures him to Spain and into the Spanish Civil War. Fearing for his friend's life, John follows, leaving Foxy behind to bear his child. Eventually, John must spend Laurie's inheritance to save Laurie from Spanish ruffians. When the men return to England, both have changed dramatically. Will Laurie be able to keep home and body together without his trust fund? Has Foxy and John's love died on the cold plains of La Mancha? Though Saxon's characters lack great depth, they're real enough; and she creates an entertainment that's every bit as solid as her last, Someone Special (1994). (Jan.)