The Flamboyant: A Novel

Wow, I'm really sorry to see that there were 2 reviews only for this novel, and they were all less than overjoyed. I actually loved this novel. It's a shame that it often appears only people less than satisfied with an item will review it. I myself am guilty of not always reviewing a book or CD I loved. The book dealt mostly with the life of a fictional character Lenora Demarest. Lenora lost her loving mother at a young age and moved to Puerto Rico with her father. The book followed her journey to adulthood, both in taking over her father's business (grapefruits) to fulfilling her dream of becoming an aviator (one of the first women). There is some romance thrown into the novel as well, but I felt it is the friendships Clara forms both with the affluent (like herself) and her workers that truly shines. I felt the author did a magnificent job with detail. She not only did a fantastic job letting you know the main characters (and even some of the background characters) but she also did a tremendous job offering you the chance to see what she was seeing with non-vital items such as views of the land below from the plane, jewelry descriptions and the food/meals that were eaten at that time in Puerto Rico. The author touched upon the current events of the time (1920's - current) from the depression in the US, to Puerto Ricans feeling as if they did not belong, to Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, aviation and feminism. I thoroughly enjoyed Miss Carlsons book and look forward to reading The Sunday Tertulia.