Texas Rich

by Fern Michaels

Ballantine, August, 2001.
Hardcover, 529 pages.
ISBN: 0345449592
Subgenre: Contemporary

Texas Rich by Fern Michaels

Ballantine is reissuing in a special hardcover the bestselling Texas series, which begins with Texas Rich, and is followed by Texas Fury, Texas Heat, and Texas Sunrise. The Texas series is a sprawling saga which tells the story of the fabulously wealthy Coleman family: their loves, losses, triumphs and betrayals are portrayed from the 1940s to present day. The story opens in Philadelphia during World War II. Young and beautiful, Billie Ames meets a handsome navy pilot, Moss Coleman, who is stationed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. After a whirlwind courtship, and a little help from Billie's scheming mother, Billie and Moss are married and have moved to Sunbridge, the 250,000 acre Texas ranch owned by the wealthy Coleman family. Billie must face an incredibly manipulative father-in-law who has inexplicably teamed up with her own mother (who always wanted to be rich and hated their lives of genteel poverty in Philadelphia) and the fact that Moss may not be the man that she thought she married. As the years go by and the family expands, Billie remains the strong center of a family dynasty which is marked by passion, betrayal, joy and heartbreak that all the money in the world cannot assuage.

The Texas saga showcases Fern Michaels' considerable talents as a storyteller. The opening scenes with Billie as a young girl in World War II are absolutely wonderful; Michaels perfectly evokes the mood and tone of the era. As the years go by, the attitudes and mores of the times are clearly reflected in the actions and outlook of each successive generation of children. Billie Ames is a fascinating character, who is quite naive when she marries, but grows into a complex, strong woman who must hold an entire family together in the face of great triumphs and tragedies. This is an absorbing and very entertaining book, and fans are sure to delight in this new edition.

Texas Rich is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the September, 2001 of The Internet Writing Journal.