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In 1963, Cathleen returns to British Honduras to pick up her son, Alex. He has been living with Cathleen’s sister since Cathleen fled to England after his birth. Alex was conceived when Victor, her then-stepfather, raped her. Now, back home and with Victor having flown to parts unknown, Cathleen is ready to be seen and heard in her hometown. She has become a beautiful and seductive young woman and has decided that trading sexual favors for gifts and money is good business. However, she also knows that the real money and luxury come from marrying a white British soldier stationed on the island and moving in style to England.
Cathleen sets her sights on John, who is older and not her type but still an officer. John is completely inexperienced with women, especially as he spent years dedicated to celibacy and the priesthood but made the decision to become a soldier instead. He falls for Cathleen's charms immediately, although she cares nothing for him. However, John and Alex form a tight bond that strengthens through the years. They make their home in England for over a decade, but when John retires, Cathleen begs him to leave his aging parents and return to British Honduras, which has since become Belize.
Alex has become a kind, responsible, handsome, and athletic kid. He loves John very much but is quick to understand that Cathleen has been using John all these years and hasn’t been much of a mother. Back in Belize, Cathleen soon returns to her old ways. After she is caught in the house with another man, John throws her out, However, he stays true to her in his heart and mind. Meanwhile, Alex and his girlfriend, Sharee, have been going strong and have begun becoming intimate, although she is only fourteen. When Sharee ends up pregnant, not only is their secret exposed, but secrets from the past will suddenly come to light and pose even greater problems.
The author makes clear in this book that there will be some similarities to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. She pointedly mentions the play and has Alex declare that nothing like that will ever happen to the relationship between him and Sharee. As experienced readers know, such a pledge in a book often invokes tragedy. Also, sticking to the classics, it is easy to see Chaucer’s "Miller’s Tale" presented in modern trappings. In that story, an old carpenter marries an eighteen-year-old: “she was wylde and yong, and he was old / And demed himself been lik a cokewold.” The cuckolded husband referenced here has been around for centuries. John’s denial of it and his determination to continue loving Cathleen when faced with it despite her disdain for him seem like the start of an essay one might find about modern masculinity.
Arnold’s handling of race in this book is very well done. It is such an important part of Cathleen’s selfish plans, and yet when it comes to Alex and John, it turns into background information overshadowed by the deep love between a father and his non-biological son. Arnold’s writing truly stands out when a scene needs to be done in a specific way to really bring her exotic locale to life. She builds her stories upon stories that are frequently used, but her unique location helps them feel fresh. This book will still satisfy many readers, particularly those who love a classic tale of star-crossed lovers.