What do you think?
Rate this book
Amethyst
Victoria Raven's predictions for the future fates of her friends--Jess, a talented artist; Gwynneth, a world-famous model; and Catriona, a successful businesswoman--have all come true, except for one terrifying vision of death
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
59 people want to read
About the author
Mary-Rose Hayes
10 books19 followersI lived in a remote English country rectory during and after World War II with limited radio, obviously no TV, and frequent power outages. Entertainment was story-telling, play-acting, reading aloud. I began to write stories when I was six years old, and never stopped.
My new novel, WHAT SHE HAD TO DO, draws to some extent on this background. It concerns a young woman’s desperate choice in post-war England, and its catastrophic effects through three generations of a family. It was fifteen years in the writing, with several lengthy interruptions including two 'time-outs' for political thrillers written with Senator Barbara Boxer. These 'time-outs', however, proved to be blessings and let in the light. I realized I’d broken a major rule of story-telling and the characters, drawn far too close to real people, seemed lifeless. They are now created from whole cloth and hopefully are credible and sympathetic.
Other matters: I'm married and live in Northern California, love choral singing, theater, off-the-grid travel, and especially sailing in a small boat far from land!
My new novel, WHAT SHE HAD TO DO, draws to some extent on this background. It concerns a young woman’s desperate choice in post-war England, and its catastrophic effects through three generations of a family. It was fifteen years in the writing, with several lengthy interruptions including two 'time-outs' for political thrillers written with Senator Barbara Boxer. These 'time-outs', however, proved to be blessings and let in the light. I realized I’d broken a major rule of story-telling and the characters, drawn far too close to real people, seemed lifeless. They are now created from whole cloth and hopefully are credible and sympathetic.
Other matters: I'm married and live in Northern California, love choral singing, theater, off-the-grid travel, and especially sailing in a small boat far from land!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 17, 2017
I started this hilarious thing where I go to a thrift store and find the cheesiest looking 1980s trash book about a group of women. There are a TON of them. The Debutantes was the first I picked up and this one has quite a lot in common with it. I don't actually think this is a case of ripping off, however, I think this is a case of what people in the 80s might have found salacious.
Jess, Gwynneth, and Catriona are best friends at a quaint English boarding school when Victoria Raven joins them their senior year. Beautiful and mysterious, Victoria sports a gigantic amethyst ring and purports to be able to see the future. There she tells their futures; traditionalist Jess will live in another country, dowdy Gwynneth will make a million dollars due to her bones, and Catriona will marry the boy she loves, but at a high cost. All futures wildly different from the one's they envisioned for themselves. But it's the last prediction that sends them to rural Scotland thirty years later when Victoria's mysterious and handsome brother, Tancredi, calls them, the prediction that in thirty years time they will all be together again, but they will be one less.
This book was plainly fun. It was one of those books where all the girls somehow manage to become effortlessly rich and famous. But towards the end something really started to grate on me and that was the men in this story. What a sorry group of controlling messes. There wasn't a member of the lot that was remotely appealing. And yet I repeatedly got the impression that we were supposed to be swept off our feet. Despite his extremely rare appearances Tancredi was probably the best of the guys. He, at least, made no bones about being an asshole.
Overall, this was a fun entry into my spree of 80s trash. Sometimes it got too big for its breeches, but that's not necessarily a totally bad thing.
Jess, Gwynneth, and Catriona are best friends at a quaint English boarding school when Victoria Raven joins them their senior year. Beautiful and mysterious, Victoria sports a gigantic amethyst ring and purports to be able to see the future. There she tells their futures; traditionalist Jess will live in another country, dowdy Gwynneth will make a million dollars due to her bones, and Catriona will marry the boy she loves, but at a high cost. All futures wildly different from the one's they envisioned for themselves. But it's the last prediction that sends them to rural Scotland thirty years later when Victoria's mysterious and handsome brother, Tancredi, calls them, the prediction that in thirty years time they will all be together again, but they will be one less.
This book was plainly fun. It was one of those books where all the girls somehow manage to become effortlessly rich and famous. But towards the end something really started to grate on me and that was the men in this story. What a sorry group of controlling messes. There wasn't a member of the lot that was remotely appealing. And yet I repeatedly got the impression that we were supposed to be swept off our feet. Despite his extremely rare appearances Tancredi was probably the best of the guys. He, at least, made no bones about being an asshole.
Overall, this was a fun entry into my spree of 80s trash. Sometimes it got too big for its breeches, but that's not necessarily a totally bad thing.
January 7, 2021
My favorite eighties book - everyone is either obscenely rich, talented or tortured, with dark secrets aplenty. Action packed, drama infused, passion soaked. America to Europe to Mexico to Beirut. All very glamorous and a very entertaining read. Stuck with me all these years.
May 18, 2020
This is the story of 3 girls who meet a new girl at boarding school. Her name is Victoria and she says that she can foresee the future. They have a seance and Victoria tells each girl about her future in vague terms. Then, the girls go forth and try to live up to their futures...
April 12, 2019
Book is full of dark turns, suspense, and interesting friendships.
August 31, 2024
Amazing read.
August 6, 2020
My favorite eighties book - everyone is either obscenely rich, talented or tortured, with dark secrets aplenty. Action packed, drama infused, passion soaked. America to Europe to Mexico to Beirut. All very glamorous and a very entertaining read. Stuck with me all these years.
Read
August 21, 2013Read 1/00
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews