Introduction
We, the publishers, are proud to add this new novel to the growing list of Embassy House publications. In it the family conflicts brought on by the decision of a young girl to live with her uncle and his family are excitingly portrayed.
Jackie St. John's background is not unlike that of many teenagers who've grown up in rural, backwoods districts in the United States. Because of her father's poverty and the remote location of her hometown, she's not had the exposure to television, movies and other media that are such important aspects in a child's development in this modern world.
Her naivete eventually contributes to her downfall, since her lack of experience makes her only too willing to indulge her newly discovered appetites. She hasn't developed that important element which comes with social sophistication: the ability to discriminate between various degrees of right and wrong.
If she's brought to a position of social disgrace among her peers and her family, it's ultimately because of her selfish Uncle Mike, whose own family frustrations have driven him to take advantage of the pretty young blonde. His ego struggles with his unfaithful wife and his political ambitions in the Dolan community make him a difficult parent for Jackie and her cousin Billy to deal with.
When Uncle Mike finally becomes so enmeshed in his incestuous relationship with Jackie that he comes close to destroying his career, he's saved by the teenager's courageous decision to return home. Despite her previous lack of judgment, she proves willing to sacrifice all she's gained materially from her forbidden liaison to restore her sense of personal decency.
This novel should be read not only for the important social message it contains, but for the true-to-life characters who, for a brief moment, laugh, cry and make love before our very eyes.
The Publishers