The India Fan

Readers will savor this sweeping coming-of-age tale that spans two continents, from Holt (The Time of Hunter’s Moon), one of the pen-names used by the late Eleanor Hibbert (1906–1993). Drusilla Delany has always lived in the shadow of the Framling House, her life always intertwined with the wealthy family, whether being “kidnapped” for two weeks by son Fabian as a baby, or forced into a friendship with spoiled daughter Lavinia. After a childhood prank, Drusilla comes into possession of a family heirloom, a beautiful, bejeweled peacock fan that supposedly carries a curse that could cause her to lose everything she loves. Drusilla eventually leaves home to attend finishing school in France. Then she becomes a governess in India; though her life is marked by intrigue, danger, romance, and loss, she stubbornly refuses to believe the fan or its curse are behind any of it. Lush and exotic, this is a luxuriously told story of a girl’s adventures into adulthood. At times, references are too casual, flippant, or modern for the time period, and the stock characters too predictable. But the story is well served by rich, sensual details and engrossing storylines. (Mar.)