A trilogy of stories that shatter the myths of stereotypical islands of paradise. In Promises, during the late 1960s, the ketch, Mercy, sinks during a sea storm off Culebra near the Virgin Islands. Ciara Malloy assumes custody of her drowned fiancé’s son and learns a devastating secret about the boy that changes her life forever. In Adrift, in the late 1990s, underwater photographer Lillian … in the late 1990s, underwater photographer Lillian Avery gets caught in a rip current and swept out to sea off Kauai in Hawaii. In facing death, she finds a way to leave a message behind.
Years later, in Reunion, the two former neighbors from Puerto Rico reunite on Kauai. A hurricane wreaks island-wide havoc. Ciara is missing, presumed dead. Among the rubble, Lillian finds Ciara’s memoirs; a life history that threatens to expose tightly held secrets about the boy since the sinking of the Mercy.
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Intimate, romantic, heart-rending
Forming a breathtaking swath of adventure from Cuba to Puerto Rico to the Hawaiian Islands, Mary Deal’s trilogy takes readers from joy to tragedy and survival, and to redemption, where love transcends bloodlines and friendship knows no limitations.
At the heart of the stories, which all link together and come full circle, is the importance of home: of creating one, of making it a personal expression of one’s own values, a sanctuary that will stand strong against the elements and leave a legacy for generations. But all too easily the rages of nature can blow it apart and destroy every memento and memory.
With skill, narrative beauty, and intimate knowledge of the topography, oceanography and climatology of the tropics, the author weaves in and out of the sweet, heartwarming and heart-rending lives of her characters. There are promises made that must be kept, no matter the cost. There are spiritual experiences found in the treacherous depths of the sea that can be a harbinger of a tragic end or of a miraculous rescue.
A sweeping, romantic book with characters richly drawn and easy to admire, “Legacy of the Tropics” has all the elements of a can’t-put-it-down novel. One of many this author has artfully created.
Every once in a while, you come across an author who can write across multiple genres and make it seem like an incredibly easy task. Mary Deal is one of those not-so-frequent-few who can deliver romance, mystery, thriller, historical, and contemporary all throughout a wide variety of settings. Legacy of the Tropics is my fifth read from her growing literary works, and while I’m not sure if it’s my favorite yet, it is definitely in the top two or three of what she’s produced. At a 50-foot glance, it’s a collection of three short novellas (~90 pages each) revolving around weather impacts in those lush and beautiful (not always serene) beach locations many of us adore. While each of the stories are stand-alone, and the first two are completely separate, there is a connection between the characters in the third story which was a beautiful surprise.
One of the facets of Deal’s work I’ve grown quite fond of is her ability to incorporate detailed histories of her characters all throughout the text without overwhelming the reader. Sometimes it’s a few pages, others it’s just a line here and there. By the end, you’re fully immersed in someone’s struggle or plight, rooting for him or her like no one before. In all three stories, weather plays a huge and dramatic role. At first, it’s a freak storm impacting a boat at sea off the cost of Puerto Rico, then it’s an unexpected rip tide on a beach in Hawaii. I’ve been to both places and she instantly brought me back there. By the third, a powerful hurricane wrecks havoc on an already burdened set of inhabitants and characters we’ve come to know. Deal knows how to toy with your emotions… whether it’s making you want to reach thru the pages to save the victim yourself, cry when someone unexpectedly takes a turn for the worse, or shout with strength when it appears a reward might finally happen. But it’s never over when Deal’s at the helm. Just when you think things are looking brighter, she drops the truly big one on you! Every possible conflict appears among these stories.
Deal’s knowledge of these places and various water-related incidents is vast and descriptive. You will feel (1) stuck in the middle of an ocean with little hope for survival, (2) as if you’re being lifted by 100 mph winds into the air as a roof is ripped off your house, or (3) the jitters when a sea creature begins attacking your legs just because it wants to toy with you. Between the ocean-life and real-life in between the words of these 3 stories, be prepared for emotion, knowledge, and shock. I expected to read one story for the next 3 days. Instead, I read 1 last night and 2 first thing this morning… and I still want more. What a fantastic way to share a common theme and experience. Awesome work, Deal!
Hold on to your lifeboat, because this author, Mary Deal will take you on three, beach-related adventures that will have you packing your bags for the islands, or at least searching out more of her books. I’ve been to Puerto Rico and I’ve snorkeled in the Virgin Islands and Kauai. In fact, I was married on the Big Island. These stories took me back and even pointed out things I may have forgot.
While the love between Rico and Ciara is deeper than the Mariana Trench, this isn’t just a love story and it rises above a legacy. After Lilly takes pictures of a turtle caught in an illegal net she says, “I’ve got it all. I’m going to tell it to the world, the whole story. No harmless turtle should be killed or maimed for the benefit of selfish human motives.” I agree Mary Deal—your tender loving descriptions of protected coral and the endangered Honu sea turtles take these stories to a higher level. In fact, when people ask whether my own debut novel has an underlying message, I mention saving the Honu.
The third story has two characters come together to combine interests, while also attempting to survive an island storm. Find out what happens by traveling to the islands with Mary Deal. It’s like a mini vacation crammed into wonderful, tropical tales.
Legacy of the Tropics by Mary Deal incorporates 3 stories that link together into one book. In the first story, Promises, Ciara Malloy, an American children’s author, falls in love with Rico and his young son, Pablo, while living in Puerto Rico. The second story, Adrift, is about Lilly, an ocean life photographer, who lives in Hawaii after having lived in Puerto Rico for a short time. Lilly, never seems to find the right man and wonders if he exists. In the final story, Reunion, a much older Ciara moves to Hawaii with her young grandson. She has reunited with Lilly, the woman with whom she always wanted to collaborate on a book with but didn’t get a chance to really know while living in Puerto Rico. Now that they are neighbours they plan on making this collaboration a reality.
I quite enjoyed this novel by Mary Deal and was hooked from the first chapter. Each story sees these women going through harrowing experiences that kept me turning the page. The stories stayed with me after I put the book down, and I couldn’t wait to pick it up again and find out what happened next.
If you like stories about strength, courage, and resilience, you will enjoy Legacy of the Tropics.
Three stories, bound together by love, friendship, resourcefulness & courage. In the first, a young family are pulled apart by consequences when their boat is torn apart in a storm. In the second we meet Lillian, neighbour & friend, battling her own troubles on a dive & then finally the two tales are cleverly brought together to create a touching finale. Mary Deal is a master at bringing characters to life, their lives as vivid as the colourful islands that they inhabit. Although adventurous & heart-warming, these stories will also tug at your heartstrings, causing the reader to realise how very precious life is & to life it to the full. Unreservedly five stars.
This group of intertwined short stories traces the lives of two women from Puerto Rico to Hawaii.
The opening tales depict what must be the most traumatic and defining moments in each one’s life: a shipwreck and the subsequent death of Ciara Malloy’s fiancée; and Lillian Avery’s endless hours caught in a rip current, lost in the existential meanderings of a mind coming to grips with imminent death.
The two, who were casual neighbors in Puerto Rico, meet again in Kauai where they bond before facing a third trauma: a devastating hurricane.
Deal is a skilled wordsmith equally adept at portraying hair-raising action scenes, painting beautiful land-and seascapes, and constructing intricate characters with complex motivations and human foibles.
A great read for anyone; but will appeal especially to students of in-depth studies of human nature.
A Fantastic Story
Ciara and Lilly were briefly neighbors in Puerto Rico decades earlier and later became neighbors again in Hawaii. In between, they experienced some devastating battles with Mother Nature at Her worst. I was extremely impressed by the author’s knowledge of the islands of Puerto Rico and Hawaii, and the dangerous ocean surrounding them which almost claimed their lives, not together but in vastly different locations. Reunited in Hawaii, they then almost lost their lives during a category five hurricane. Definitely a fantastic read