Iolani; or, Tahiti as It Was: A Romance

Description

Written 150 years ago, never published, and presumed lost for nearly a century, Wilkie Collins's earliest novel now appears in print for the first time. Iolani is a sensational romance--a tale of terror and suspense, bravery and betrayal, set against the lush backdrop of Tahiti. The book's complicated history is worthy of a writer famous for intric

"Wilkie Collins has a particular gift for rendering striking locations and for conveying a strong sense of weather and mood. It is this gift which sets him apart form other sensation novelists of the Victorian period... [He] recreates the lush verdure, mountains, waterfalls and lakes of Tahiti in a strongly romantic style."--Leonee Ormond, Literary Review "It is dramatic and picturesque. It has the immense merit T.S. Eliot found in his later works, 'of never being dull'. Most significantly, it has a spunky heroine of unconventional morality."--Lynne Truss, The Times (London) "There are plenty of characteristic Collinsian mysteries... [F]or anyone who enjoys Collins's mature work, it is intriguing to see how many of his later preoccupations appear in Iolani."--Catherine Peters, The Sunday Telegraph