New York: Henry Holt, (1997) dj. Hardcover first edition - The second novel by this award winning writer, one which tells the life stories of two West Indian women in their own voices: Lilla, the white mistress of a dilapidated colonial mansion, and Vel, the Black servant who has been her only companion for ten years. The two women have always treated each other with a distant formality, but when Vel finds herself pregnant, Lilla puts her to bed in her own bedroom and finds herself caring for her. Praise from Christina Garcia, Rosario Ferre, Steven Dixon and Robert Olen Butler (who calls this an extraordinary and enduring work of art.)SIGNED by the author. Review copy with publisher's slip laid in. 399 pp. ISBN: 0-805049258.