The Spoils of Eden (The Dawn of Hawaii Series: Book One)

The waves lap dangerously close to the abandoned baby—abandoned by the Molokai leper colony of the late 1800s. That baby will be at the center of an alternately tense and bittersweet romantic struggle between Eden Derrington and Rafe Easton. Eden and Rafe are in love, but Baby Kip may very well endanger their future together. It's two generations after the on-fire missionaries have arrived on the Hawaiian Islands, and the descendants of those missionaries are drifting into complacency and materialism. The generational plots and subplots masterfully woven throughout this first in the "Dawn of Hawaii" trilogy will leave the reader yearning for the second and third books, coming in 2011 and 2012. Can love survive when dreams divide? Rafe Easton rescued an abandoned baby from certain death on a forbidden island. Now that courageous act could cost him his pending marriage and his reputation. The Hawaii of 1891 is not untamed as it was when the first missionaries arrived, but the dangers haven't disappeared. Power, wealth, and ambition still drive the affairs of the island life, and Rafe Easton is poised to win big on all three--except for one thing. The woman he loves is walking away from their promise of life together on account of a baby boy . . . and the forsaken people of the island he came from. For her part, Eden Derrington must choose between her father's lifelong dream of curing leprosy, and a life of privilege with the man she's loved since childhood. Will Rafe wait for her while she serves alongside her father? And what if she herself falls victim to the dreaded disease that took her mother many years ago? Set against the backdrop of tropical paradise, revolutionary intrigue, hidden motives, and deadly secrets, The Spoils of Eden sheds light on Hawaii's colonial era and the men and women whose sacrifices yielded such unexpected results. The board's decision Cousin Zachary and Silas Ambrose Rafe Easton Firestorm Dr. Jerome Derrington Serpents in paradise Two brothers Noelani's warning A ring for three days Whose flag do you salute? News from a far country Ten for dinner Rat Alley Rebecca's letter The disclosure! A call to Tamarind House Seeking the open door Candace's sacrifice Suspicion! Hanalei Kona plantation Love's challenge All things considered Aloha. Amid the looming spiritual and political crisis in Hawaii, Eden Derrington and Rafe Easton are thrust into a conflict that will forever change their beloved Hawaii and threatens to derail their future marriage