Challenge and Glory

Description from the book back cover: Newport, Rhode Island - city of old money, magnificent mansions, endless shorelines, and a dream that drives the hearts of all: the quest for the America's Cup. Sweeping from the 1890's to the 1980's, this stunning novel reveals the epic struggles and scandalous desires of the men and women through generations who have staked their lives, their loves, and their fortunes on the glittering prize. The Challenge and the Glory: Tess Moran - A beautiful Irish housemaid swept into a world of wealth by a mystery man who will teach her passion - and break her heart; Amanda Fain - The tempestuous sculptress with a taste for bootleg liquor and a soft heart for revolutionaries who fell in love with a straitlaced Englishman; Laura Andersson - The Minnesota farmgirl who answered the siren call of the sea, then risked everything she loved on a schooner sailing south; and Alan Seton - Dashing skipper of a great yacht, obessessed with winning the Cup - but endangered by his desire for three women who have the power to betray him ...

This was my first Antoinette Stockenberg novel; I read it not long after it was published back in '87. Ages ago, I know, but her writing is so vivid I can still picture some of the scenes from the novel. This is, however, before the ghost or mystery plots were woven into her novels: it is purely a story of life and relationships. I have been a huge fan ever since. I can't wait for her next ...