Forever Waiting: Colette's Appeal

The gripping saga of the Duvoisins—an extraordinary American family both blessed and cursed—reaches a stunning conclusion. . . .

In the wake of heartbreaking tragedy and volatile revelations, the once-great Duvoisin family of Virginia teeters on the brink of disintegration. And trusted governess, Charmaine Ryan, suffers with them.

Their world has exploded—and aging patriarch, Frederic Duvoisin, desperately tries to salvage what remains of his shattered family. His mercurial son John has left, vowing never to return, taking a piece of Charmaine's heart with him. Paul, the roguish, illegitimate son and aspiring heir to the Duvoisin shipping empire, offers love to the vulnerable Charmaine. And Agatha, Frederic's shrewish wife, plots to destroy anyone who stands in her way. Haunted by the past, John returns, inadvertently unearthing the most devastating scheme of all.

In the wake of heartbreaking tragedy and volatile revelations, the once-great Duvoisin family of Virginia teeters on the brink of disintegration. And trusted governess, Charmaine Ryan, suffers with them.

Their world has exploded and aging patriarch, Frederic Duvoisin, desperately tries to salvage what remains of his shattered family. His mercurial son John has left, vowing never to return, taking a piece of Charmaine's heart with him. Paul, the roguish, illegitimate son and aspiring heir to the Duvoisin shipping empire, offers love to the vulnerable Charmaine. And Agatha, Frederic's shrewish wife, plots to destroy anyone who stands in her way. Haunted by the past, John returns, inadvertently unearthing the most devastating scheme of all.

Publishers Weekly

Sisters Debra and Valerie Gantt finally complete the Colette trilogy (begun 30 years ago) with the story of Charmaine Ryan, governess to the late Colette Duvoisin's girls and heir to Colette's role as soul of the Duvoisins, a family of prosperous 19th-century plantation and mill owners. The novel is heavy with flashbacks and recaps intended to catch readers up with preceding events. It's now 1837, and Colette's widower, Frederic Duvoisin, wishes to make up for past mistakes, but son John remains estranged in Virginia while John's half-brother teeters on the brink of marriage. Meanwhile, Agatha Duvoisin continues to hatch sinister schemes, leaving hardworking heroine Charmaine to triumph the old-fashioned way: by not giving into anything but true love. The novel feels very much like a throwback to the staid romances written a generation or two ago, where a man's masculinity is silhouetted by a burning fire and love ignites when hero and heroine dance at a ball, then stroll alone together through a garden. (Dec.)

DeVa Gantt is a pseudonym for coauthor sisters Deb and Val Gantt. Valerie and Debra were born and raised in New Jersey, where the Colette Trilogy—commencing with A Silent Ocean Away —was conceived. Presently, they live in New York. Both women are married, have children, and maintain full-time careers.