Bright Captivity

Legions of fans will undoubtedly welcome another warm historical saga from Price ( Stranger in Savannah ). In this first volume of a projected trilogy, she chronicles a passionate (yet decorous) romance, basing her characters on real persons. Anne Couper is celebrating her 18th birthday when the British capture St. Simon's Island, Ga., during the War of 1812. She and a group of her houseguests are held in a far from onerous captivity, and Anne and handsome Lt. John Fraser of the Royal Marines fall in love. Their courtship and marriage create numerous conflicts. Should John accept Anne's father's generous offer of a plantation on St. Simon's Island? Can he, the consummate soldier, regain his commission after the war and rejoin his regiment? The young couple is given counsel and love from a host of agreeable family members and friends, including Anne's distant cousin, a Scottish lord, and his friend author Walter Scott. Anne and John, at times colorless, are far too well bred to display conflict or excitement, yet the book springs to life in its descriptions both of the lush landscape of a Georgia plantation and the wild, primitive highlands of Scotland. 150,000 first printing; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club selections. (May)