The Lost Duke of Wyndham, Julia Quinn [Avon Books, Harper-Collins, 2008]

When I read the back cover of Julia Quinn’s newest book, The Lost Duke of Wyndham, and saw that the hero was a highwayman, I immediately thought of the classic epic poem called, ‘The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes.  That poem is in the majority of 7th or 8th grade literature books  [it is filled with figurative language–a teacher’s delight].  The Highwayman has always been a favorite of mine because it’s so much fun to teach and discuss with students who are just discovering poetry.

A highwayman has a special appeal to me and so I bought this book and delved right in.   It didn’t disappoint.  Jack Cavendish-Audley is a charming, Robin Hood character.  He’s a highwayman and smooth as silk.  And just like in Alfred Noyes’s poem, his heart is true and he loves but one woman.

Stats:

Highwayman.  Rogue.  Swashbuckler.  He’s tall, dark, and handsome, rides a stallion name Lucy, and is trying desperately to hide elements of his past that he’d rather remain secret.  He has a deep appreciation for art and can read volumes into the paintings he admires.  He’s not so much into books, or reading of any kind, but a man of remarkable intelligence and impeccable manners, even when he’s robbing you blind.  JQ tends to give her heroes small disabilities that they are able to overcome–it makes the men real and vulnerable and Jack Audley is no exception.

The Look:

With his mask on, there’s not much to look at except his mouth.  “…his lips were so full of movement, so perfectly formed and expressive, that she almost felt she could see him.  It was odd.  And mesmerizing.  And more than a little unsettling.”

Jack has a smooth voice, like fine brandy, and eyes that are heavily-lidded and seductive.  His crooked smile is devilishly charming.  It hints at the secret things he’d like to do to a woman.  His clothes are well-worn [the dowager Duchess of Wyndham, aka Jack’s dear old Grandmama, would call them tattered and unacceptable].  He cleans up well, however, once he’s at Belgrave Hall.

Leading Lady:

Grace Eversleigh, companion to the dowager.  She’s an intelligent, impoverished innocent who is inexplicable smitten by the highwayman.  She reacts to his smile, then to his intelligence and appreciation of art, and finally to his visual caresses.  She’s an honorable woman who balances the [conceivably] in-honorable Jack [highwayman and all that].

The Final Analysis:

Find the Lost Duke of Wyndham!  It’s a fast read, a 3 course meal that is full of satisfying delights, and is as humorous as all of JQ’s other reads.  Jack Cavendish-Audley’s Robin Hood sensibility stems from his core and makes his plundering excusable, and even, one might say, acceptable and worth cheering.  He’s had his share of women [masterfully ensuring that no babies are sired by him], but he has saved his heart for Grace, and only Grace.

Question of the Day:

What is it about the Swashbuckler that is appealing?  Could you overcome the conceivably in-honorable traits of a highwayman?

STATS: Nine months after Indiana Jones left Marion Ravenwood at the alter, she gave birth to a son who she named Henry Jones III, or “Mutt” (Shia LaBeolf). Marion went on to marry Colin Williams when her son was just a toddler and let Mutt believe Williams was his biological father. Mutt also befriended Professor Harold Oxley, who became a surrogate father to him when Colin was killed during World War II. Preferring his motorcycle to his classical education, and his switchblade to a school uniform, Mutt Willaims never much cared for prep school life. He rejected every preppy school he’s ever attended, and spends his time fixing motorcycles, combing his hair, and playing with his switchblade. Upon receiving a strange letter from his kidnapped mother, Mutt finds (unbeknownst to him) his real father, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), and convinces him to help him find his kidnapped mother, Mary Williams. The only clue he has is the letter written in an ancient language by Oxley. Both believe the letter can lead them to crystal skulls and Mutt’s mother.

THE LOOK: Tall, well-built, about 22 years old, with brown hair and green eyes. He has his father’s quick wit and smarts, enhanced with his mother’s daredevil attitude.

LEADING LADY: Stay tuned for what may come in the future. For now his only leading lady is his Harley Davidson Motorcycle, leather jacket and switchblade.

BOTTOM LINE: Not to be a spoiler, but the movie left us with hope for the future, with Mutt as the next Indiana Jones, after he finishes school at his parent’s behest. I liked Mutt. He was devoted to his mom, and to Oxely who was like a father figure to him growing up. He literally went to the ends of the earth to find both. Yet, he has the bad boy, wild-one image going on, complete with leathers, hat and motorcycle. This is how he wants to be seen, but in reality he is very smart, with both swashbuckler abilities and lost boy charm. Mutt can really turn out to be a great character if the series continues. As much as I’d love to keep Indiana alive for ever, it realistically won’t happen. But if Mutt follows in dad’s and both his grandfather’s shoes, he’ll have a bright future as the next famous Archaeologist.

Question of the Day: What do you think of Mutt as the next Indiana Jones? Did you see him reaching for the dad’s fedora? Is it a symbolic gesture of the future of the Jones legacy?

Pirates of the Caribbean, 2003, Disney Productions, Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)

STATS: Conniving, roguish, and charming, Captain of the Black Pearl.

THE LOOK: Approximately 5′ 9″, brown eyes, long brown dreadlocks, with a devilish grin, and something of an odd swagger. Often appears as if he needs a good scrubbing.

LEADING LADY: The Black Pearl. As a true captain of the open sea, Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) (as he is affectionately called by his rag tag crew of pirates), loves his ship above all things. When talking about the ‘Pearl’, he always refers to her lovingly. Although Captain Jack took it under consideration (once or twice), not even Miss Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightly) can take the place of the Pearl. To Elizabeth, he says: “Darling, it just wouldn’t work you and I.”

The Pearl is easily recognized by her black hull and sails, which allow her to move through the night undercover. Once called the Wicked Wench, the name change came when Jack made a deal with Davy Jones to have her raised from the sea bottom. She’s also one of the fastest ships on the water.

BOTTOM LINE: Johnny Depp has created a lovable, memorable and funny character in Captain Jack Sparrow. His swagger and demeanor were copied from Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Depp has taken the character to new heights with every Pirate movie. In our pop culture, when ‘Pirate’ is mentioned, people see Captain Jack, with his wit, charm, and scoundrel attributes. But hidden under his selfish demeanor is a brave man who is willing to die for his Pearl, as seen in the second movie, Dead Man’s Chest.

Davy Jones: “He’s a Captain that will go down with his ship.”

A crewman: “Captain Jack has bested the devil.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Why do we love Captain Jack, even when he’s at his worst and weakest? Do we all wish we could be so good at being bad, like Captain Jack?

Amazon Lily by Theresa Weir (Bantam, 1988)

Asher Adams is like Linda Howard’s Ben Lewis (Heart Of Fire), only a little more heartbroken. His heartache doesn’t come from the loss of a woman, but from the loss of his brother.

STATS:

An Amazon bush pilot suffering from malaria and heartache. His primary goal is to find his brother, lost years ago in the Amazon and presumed dead.

Has a tattoo on his bicep that says “Born To Raise Hell.”

THE LOOK:

Damp, corded muscles. Long, athletic legs. Shaggy, brown hair. Ripped jeans. Foul cigars.

“Profound, deep, vulnerable eyes….” “They had dark lines running through the smokey gray, giving them a strange multifaceted, starlike pattern.”

“She was the innocent lamb, he was the wolf in wolf’s clothing.”

LEADING LADY:

Corey McKinney is a small-town social worker hoping to make a difference to the native Indians of the Amazon. She’s engaged to a man everyone expects her to marry, and she’s convinced she wants to marry him, too.

Ash calls her Lily, first as in “lily white” then as in Amazon lily.

Memorable moment:

When Corey is claimed by a local tribesman, Ash gives up a prized possession (a red swiss army knife given to him by his brother) in order to keep her safe. Even though he dismisses the trade as a steep one for “a lay,” the significance of his sacrifice is unmistakable.

Soon thereafter, when Ash laughingly realizes that the tribesman gave Lily an aphrodisiac, we know he’s laughing at his own expense. As he proves, the man has too much honor to take (full) advantage of a woman that helpless, and that only endears us to him more.

Taking his duties seriously

Secondary to keeping Corey safe is Ash’s determination to show her “that making love is more than tab A going into slot B.” He succeeds wildly, proving himself to be alternately a dominant, passionate lover and a whimsical, tender one.

BOTTOM LINE:

Ash is in his element in the steamy jungle, but when he leaves his home to go after Corey, he’s willing to do anything to keep her-even play (and cheat at) bingo with her fiancée and family, and feed baby lambs with a bottle. When Corey moves with him back to the jungle, we know their lives will be as poetic and mystical as the moonlight he finds in her hair.

QUESTION ON THE DAY:

What do you think of tattoos? Would you want your hero to have one? If so, what kind?