Lori Marie Carlson: The Flamboyant

An air of luxury and gentility dominates this lightweight, romantic novel about the early days of aviation. The story follows the formative years of Lenora Demarest, a fictional heroine loosely based on a real-life American aviatrix.

Demarest, an only child with doting parents, lives an idyllic existence first in a picturesque lakeside home in New York State, then, after the death of her mother, in a lush tropical paradise — a citrus plantation in Puerto Rico.

On the boat to Puerto Rico she meets dashing aviator George Hanson, who inspires her with his tales of celestial freedom and derring-do. With his stories and admiration for pioneering women pilots, Hanson encourages Lenora to follow in their footsteps. Although she is only 16, his attentions cause her to see herself in a new light, as someone with potential for adventure and independence.

This, however, takes time to be realised. Years later Lenora does take flying lessons at Hanson's behest, acquires her own plane, strikes up a friendship with Amelia Earhart no less and becomes Puerto Rico's first female flyer.

But most of the novel is devoted to her domestic circumstances as she learns to run a household and then the plantation. Naturally, there are suitors.

In lieu of action, author Carlson is remorselessly lavish in her attention to detail, from the furnishings of Demarest's homes, her clothes, to the table settings for the dinner parties she holds. At times the novel reads like a 1920s version of House and Garden. Everyone is delightful, whether rich or poor — the affluent are educated and charming, the poor Puerto Ricans are charming in their simplicity and gratitude.

The Flamboyant is supposed to be a tale of a woman who makes a brave choice — to be single and free rather than a wife and mother. But Lenora is difficult to warm to. This is partly because the novel is written in a stilted and elaborate style that Carlson perhaps employs to reflect the formal manners of the age. Ultimately, we know more about her wardrobe and passion for jewellery than what's going on in her head.

The epilogue, styled as an obituary, tells us that Lenora's aviation exploits included opening a flying school, becoming a helicopter pilot and dangerous search-and-rescue missions during World War II. This leaves you with the feeling that the most interesting parts of her life have not been explored in this novel. However, as a nostalgia trip to a privileged world and an elegant age, The Flamboyant is an enjoyable, sensually written read, if a rather vacant one.

* Frances Grant is a Herald writer.

* Harpercollins, $31.99