** spoiler alert ** This is the story of Hero Athena Hollis, an extremely independent woman of the 19th century, vehemently opposed to slavery and all of society's injustices and determined to use her wealth to stamp them out. After Hero's father dies, she is invited to join her family in Zanzibar where her uncle is serving as the American Counsel. Hero's family always expected that she would marry her aunt's son by a first marriage, even though she is not sure she's in love with him.

While on voyage to...more This is the story of Hero Athena Hollis, an extremely independent woman of the 19th century, vehemently opposed to slavery and all of society's injustices and determined to use her wealth to stamp them out. After Hero's father dies, she is invited to join her family in Zanzibar where her uncle is serving as the American Counsel. Hero's family always expected that she would marry her aunt's son by a first marriage, even though she is not sure she's in love with him.

While on voyage to Zanzibar during a huge storm, Hero is washed off the boat deck and presumed dead. However, another ship captained by the infamous slave trader Rory Frost pulls up their rigging out of the sea and finds a half drowned, bruised and battered Hero. Since Hero is such a bruised mess from her ordeal, Rory has no idea what a beauty she is until sometime after she has been returned to her family. To say more of the story than this would be revealing the entire plot, which I don't like to do.

M.M. Kaye's knowledge of the Far East shines through, as it does in all her books. She stays as historically accurate as she can, and pulls no punches when describing the customs of the Island, the slave trade, the cholera epidemic and more. And once again, Kaye is able through her books to remind us that the west and east are two different and completely disparate cultures and will never see eye to eye. One other lesson brought to home in this story is when Hero's eyes are opened to the fact that for all her good intentions, going barging in to another culture you know nothing about and trying to change them "for the better" to the more "civilized culture" is inherently wrong, and one should look to correct what is one own's back yard first before trying to change the world.

This was a wonderful tale and I had a hard time putting it down. Out of print, but readily available at my county library. ( )

I think, if I had to choose the one word that would best describe this book, it would be “fraught”. Or “harrowing”, perhaps. Imagine a Gothic romance, set in mid-19th century Zanzibar, with an American heroine who happens to be a passionate do-gooder and a committed abolitionist. And a hero who is a smuggler and occasional slave-trader.

If you think you can see where this is going, you may have read too many historical romances. Although the book’s own blurb leaves no doubt that Hero Hollis and Emory Frost will end up together, how they get there is more than a little surprising. At least, it surprised me.

The best thing about M.M. Kaye’s writing is how genuine it is. Even when composing a novel that would have been trashy in most other authors’ hands, she keeps her characters both human and psychologically believable, and she is meticulous in her historical research. (She does take a few liberties with the history of the period, but the changes are scrupulously noted in a postscript.)

The only drawback about this book is its attitude toward rape, which I found a little disturbing, but not surprising, given the time and social milieu in which it’s set.

I always enjoy a book by M.M. Kaye, and Trade Wind is no exception. Raiders, slave traders, witch doctors, sultans, gold, jewels, shipwrecks, picnics, kidnapping, disease, gun running…seriously, this book has something for everyone! ( )