The Jacaranda

by David Rubin

Everyone is running from something at the Jacaranda, a low-key summer getaway in Hesper Key on the gulf side in Florida. Stella Hennessey took over operations when her gambling husband disappeared, relying on the income of a cast of characters that summer in this out-of-the-way enclave. That is, until Frank Dallary finds himself on the run after a failed coup and in need of a hideout. Only this is a calculated Frank's long-lost, unsuspecting nephew, Robert, works for Stella. Uncle Frank wants to inspire Robert's piano career with his wide range of contacts but has to approach the situation carefully, as Robert is filled with the same temperamental Dallary blood. Meanwhile Frank seems a bit over his head with Stella, who has plans of her own. Part romance, part murder mystery, part family reunion, and all around adventure story, this is one of David Rubin's most fully realized novels, introducing the world to the tangled web of the Dallary family, which would continue in his writings throughout his life.
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The David Rubin Collection seeks to assemble the fiction, non-fiction, translations and poetry of the late American novelist and scholar David Rubin. While best known for his translations of Indian writers Premchand and Nirala, David was also a master storyteller. His 1963 novel, The Greater Darkness, won the British Authors’ Club award for that year’s best first novel. He remained a prolific writer until his death in 2008. His works are archived at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University. For more information please visit davidrubinsindia.com.

575 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2016