The Thirteenth Daughter of the Moon

In this sequel to his first novel, The Lost Coast, Nightingale takes his disparate band of New Age travelers farther along the road to Northern California while subtly creating a social commentary for the 1990s. The group includes the Jamaican Muscovado Taine and his beautiful girlfriend, Izzy; Izzy's lesbian mother, Chiara, and her partner, Ananda; the painter Renato and his very pregnant lover, who's resisting marriage. Mingling with these earthy characters are Homer (of Iliad fame), Saint Francis and various members of the animal kingdom. Not daunted by the many powerful personalities and subplots, Nightingale pulls together a cohesive, action-packed narrative. Composed of freethinkers all motivated by love, this group creates an energy of its own. They're not sure where they're headed, they're content to live for today and they're trying to come to terms with the murder of Juha, husband of the cowgirl Cookie. Eventually, the troupe encounters Tabby and Grimes, two deluded vigilantes who happen to be the same young men responsible for Juha's murder. Here, the novel turns into a good guys vs. bad guys action drama. When the media get involved and begin to manipulate public opinion with a one-sided publicity blitz in favor of the vigilantes, the novel opens the field for debate on right-to-privacy issues. The ending leaves just enough room to ensure that we've probably not seen the last of this group of unusual travelers or the engaging whimsy with which Nightingale relates their exploits. (Nov.)