Subject: A review of _Promised Land_ by Connie Willis and Cyntia Felice

From: [email-masked] (Kevin B. Hewett)
Date: 14 Mar 1997 01:13:32 GMT

_Promised Land_ by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice
                 A review by Kevin B. Hewett
                      copyright 1997

This novel by the coauthors of _Light Raid_ and _Water Witch_ is about
coming of age and the shattering of childhood's myths and preconceptions
for the reality of adult life.  It is also about the rediscovery of
forgotten delights and the finding of adult love and happiness.

The novel begins with the return of Delanna Milleflores to her home planet
of Keramos upon the death of her mother.  She has been away off planet at
an exclusive boarding school for the previous 15 years since she was 5
years old.  She plans to be home for only a day, long enough to settle her
mother's affairs and sell the family farm. Unfortunately, her planet's
archaic laws and her late father's will preclude her from selling the
farm.  Indeed, by those laws she finds herself already married to her
family's nearest neighbor and farming partner.

During the course of her journey out to the farm, and the reality of life
on a frontier, agricultural world she slowly begins to realize that
everything her mother wrote to her about life on Keramos was either false
or twisted beyond recognition.  As the myths are shown to be wrong and the
truth emerges, Delanna's outlook on life is altered.  After overcoming her
humiliating introduction to life on Keramos during the five thousand mile
journey to the farm, she begins to enjoy the flora and fauna of her world.
Later, she appreciates the continuous gossip of people living on farms
separated by hundreds of miles who communicate via ham radio. Her final
change is when she realizes that her "husband" is actually worthy of her
love and help.  The plot of this intricate novel is complex with many
twists and turns.  The characters, especially Delanna and her "husband"
Sonny, are well rounded and complete with their own faults and failings.
Throughout the novel, we watch as the characters grow and change their
outlook on life.  Their interaction with each other, as well as with the
local flora and fauna make this an enjoyable novel to read.  Indeed, one
turns each page in anticipation of the next encounter of Delanna with her
home world's weather, animals, plants, or the members of the community of
which she unwillingly finds herself a part.

%A Willis, Connie and Cynthia Felice
%T Promised Land
%I Ace
%C New York
%D February 1997
%G ISBN 0-441-00405-9
%P 362 pp
%O hardcover, US$21.95

Kevin B. Hewett            |
Dept. of Chemistry         |    KNOWLEDGE
Kansas State University    |             IS A
Manhattan, Kansas          |                  TWO-EDGED
[email-masked]      |                           SWORD
[email-masked]             |