After the Rainbow

Daisy, the daughter of Rhys Morgan, wealthy sheepman and master of Mists of Heavens estate in Christchurch, New Zealand, is a romantically troubled 18-year-old, nurturing love for her long-absent cousin, Andrew, studying medicine in London. Daisy's cosseted life begins to change when Rhys marries his longtime mistress, and brings into their circle a young horse trader who must bide his time for Daisy's affection. A dramatic change occurs when the newly widowed Andrew returns, but he is no more available to Daisy than before once the secret of his parentage is revealed: he is Rhys's son from the liaison described in Kalman's novel Mists of Heaven and , therefore , Daisy's half-brother. While both are estranged from their father, Daisy pursues a career in medicine, rebelling against Victorian mores. The intergenerational family relationships are deftly handled, and the story is made unusually appealing by the New Zealand author's interweaving of the Maori culture in Anglo lives. (Nov.)