The Flamboyant

In the tradition of Beryl Markham's West with the Night, The Flamboyant tells the story of Lenora Demarest, a strong — willed, soft — spoken American beauty intent on becoming the first aviatrix in her adopted country of Puerto Rico. Born in 1900, on the cusp of divergent eras, Lenora epitomises the glamorous, wealthy, adventurous women of the 1920s and 1930s who balanced romantic, Victorian sensibilities with decidedly modern forays into traditionally male arenas. When an affair with a dashing aviator and friendship with the spirited Amelia Earhart awaken her passion for flying, Lenora — captivated by two cultures and loved by two men — finds herself on an exhilarating path towards independence. Set against the vibrant backdrop of colonial politics, The Flamboyant pays tribute to a woman generations ahead of her time.

First sentence: "Until her mother's sudden death from pneumonia in the spring of 1916, the notion of upheaval in the thrum of daily life had seemed an impossibility."

Year

2003

Language

English

Publisher

Harper Perennial

Editions

9

Pages

256

ISBN

9780060935603

Data source: Wikidata