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Behind the Columns
The year is 1846. Désirée Bordeaux is a beautiful Créole belle living with her aging grandfather, a heavy drinker and gambler who has accrued huge debts. When he dies suddenly, Désirée learns that her beautiful New Orleans plantation, Chêne Vue, is to be put on the auction block.
Désirée finds herself being wooed by Philippe Jaunet, a cruel man who lusts after Chêne Vue and strikes fear in Désirée’s heart. She is also being courted by the handsome and wealthy New Yorker, Lance Van Buren, but her heart belongs to another—the man who broke her heart and married someone else. Désirée is pulled in different directions, her life complicated by circumstances, misunderstandings, lies, and betrayal—and the workings of her own turbulent heart. Will love eventually win out for this southern belle? Power, passion, and deception rule in Arlette Gaffrey’s latest novel, Behind the Columns.
Désirée finds herself being wooed by Philippe Jaunet, a cruel man who lusts after Chêne Vue and strikes fear in Désirée’s heart. She is also being courted by the handsome and wealthy New Yorker, Lance Van Buren, but her heart belongs to another—the man who broke her heart and married someone else. Désirée is pulled in different directions, her life complicated by circumstances, misunderstandings, lies, and betrayal—and the workings of her own turbulent heart. Will love eventually win out for this southern belle? Power, passion, and deception rule in Arlette Gaffrey’s latest novel, Behind the Columns.
354 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2009
55 people want to read
About the author
Arlette Gaffrey
3Ìýbooks10ÌýfollowersI was born and raised in New Orleans. I am a French and Spanish Creole. My family goes back many generations in the Crescent city. Growing up I loved my home town because it was so unique. It was truly an enchanting city, and at the time so French.
When I was 18 I went to my first fashion show and before the day was over I was hired to become a high fashion model. I modeled from age 18 to 55. Before I married I modeled in Los Angeles and Hollywood.
When I was 12 years old I told everyone that when I grew up I would marry a Naval Officer who was a pilot, and I did. My husband was a creer Naval Officer who was a flyer. I am the mother of three, one daugher, two sons.
Because we were military, back in the old days we got trasnferred a lot. Looking back I wonder how I did it. We often crossed the country in our nine passanger staion wagon with three children, a dog, a cat, a guinea pig and two gold fish. Sometimes we'd go from the west coast to the east coast and ten months later we head back to the west coast. That meant packing up every thing we owened to relocate. But I loved that life. I loved being a military wife, a stay home mom and wondering where I would land from one year to the next.
I have six grandchildren, three boys and three girls. And I truly love being a grandmother.
Now that I am by myself, my children are all in wonderful marriages and so now I spend my time writing. I've written four books and hope to have the second one published next year. I am now working on my fifth book. I live in San Diego because that is where all three of my children live with their families.
This year I entered my book A World Of His Own-In The Land Of The Creoles in the Reader Favorite author contest and won an award. The award seal is now on the cover of every copy of the book. It was raited 5 across the board.
When I was 18 I went to my first fashion show and before the day was over I was hired to become a high fashion model. I modeled from age 18 to 55. Before I married I modeled in Los Angeles and Hollywood.
When I was 12 years old I told everyone that when I grew up I would marry a Naval Officer who was a pilot, and I did. My husband was a creer Naval Officer who was a flyer. I am the mother of three, one daugher, two sons.
Because we were military, back in the old days we got trasnferred a lot. Looking back I wonder how I did it. We often crossed the country in our nine passanger staion wagon with three children, a dog, a cat, a guinea pig and two gold fish. Sometimes we'd go from the west coast to the east coast and ten months later we head back to the west coast. That meant packing up every thing we owened to relocate. But I loved that life. I loved being a military wife, a stay home mom and wondering where I would land from one year to the next.
I have six grandchildren, three boys and three girls. And I truly love being a grandmother.
Now that I am by myself, my children are all in wonderful marriages and so now I spend my time writing. I've written four books and hope to have the second one published next year. I am now working on my fifth book. I live in San Diego because that is where all three of my children live with their families.
This year I entered my book A World Of His Own-In The Land Of The Creoles in the Reader Favorite author contest and won an award. The award seal is now on the cover of every copy of the book. It was raited 5 across the board.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 28, 2012
Arlette Gaffrey’s Behind the Columns is a well-written, compelling historical novel about the romance between a young Creole belle and a handsome, charismatic New Yorker.
New Orleans, 1847.
Having lost both her parents at an early age, Désirée Bordeaux lives with her grandfather, a man with a weakness for drink and gambling. When he suddenly dies, Désirée finds herself in a desperate situation as her beloved plantation Chêne Vue must be auctioned off.
Philippe Jaunet, a hateful man–also a heavy drinker and gambler–who used to know her grandfather, is intent on marrying her, getting the plantation for himself and use it to pay his own debts.
To add to her unhappiness, the man she thinks she loves and whom she believes promised her marriage when she was but a child of ten, has married another woman.
Enter handsome and wealthy Lance Van Buren, who immediately is mesmerized by Désirée’s stunning beauty and feisty, proud personality. At first, she despises him, even though he evokes in her the most sensual, unsettling feelings. Then, to her surprise, she discovers that he has won the auction and is the new owner of Chêne Vue. But nothing prepares her for the next shock: he proposes marriage.
Behind the Columns is an entertaining, fast-paced read. Passion and intrigue abound as the novel follows the lives of Désirée and Lance as they marry, move to New York for a while, and have their first child back in New Orleans. Philippe Jaunet remains a villain until the end, haunting Désirée and filling her nights with nightmares. In New York, she must face another villain in the shape of Inga, Lance’s sister in law. Love, passion, lies, jealousy–readers will find their share in this book,and then some.
Gaffrey does an excellent job in bringing the old South and the Creole society to life: the food, the fashion, the way of life, the values and beliefs, etc. There’s also a lot of interesting information about Creole history which I found fascinating. In short, if you love historical Southern romances a la Gone with the Wind, you’ll enjoy Behind the Columns.
New Orleans, 1847.
Having lost both her parents at an early age, Désirée Bordeaux lives with her grandfather, a man with a weakness for drink and gambling. When he suddenly dies, Désirée finds herself in a desperate situation as her beloved plantation Chêne Vue must be auctioned off.
Philippe Jaunet, a hateful man–also a heavy drinker and gambler–who used to know her grandfather, is intent on marrying her, getting the plantation for himself and use it to pay his own debts.
To add to her unhappiness, the man she thinks she loves and whom she believes promised her marriage when she was but a child of ten, has married another woman.
Enter handsome and wealthy Lance Van Buren, who immediately is mesmerized by Désirée’s stunning beauty and feisty, proud personality. At first, she despises him, even though he evokes in her the most sensual, unsettling feelings. Then, to her surprise, she discovers that he has won the auction and is the new owner of Chêne Vue. But nothing prepares her for the next shock: he proposes marriage.
Behind the Columns is an entertaining, fast-paced read. Passion and intrigue abound as the novel follows the lives of Désirée and Lance as they marry, move to New York for a while, and have their first child back in New Orleans. Philippe Jaunet remains a villain until the end, haunting Désirée and filling her nights with nightmares. In New York, she must face another villain in the shape of Inga, Lance’s sister in law. Love, passion, lies, jealousy–readers will find their share in this book,and then some.
Gaffrey does an excellent job in bringing the old South and the Creole society to life: the food, the fashion, the way of life, the values and beliefs, etc. There’s also a lot of interesting information about Creole history which I found fascinating. In short, if you love historical Southern romances a la Gone with the Wind, you’ll enjoy Behind the Columns.
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