Sunday, November 6, 2011
Would you read this book? Or these books (it may need to be a set)?
Two brothers go to the African country of Benin, in the mid-40's. One an adventurer, one a missionary, whose wife works for the Benin Emby in America. Both end up having their way with the same woman, but do not know it. After about six months, the two go back to America, and go about their business. One day, the adventurer brother gets a call that the woman he has had relations with has just given birth to twins. He has just gotten married, his new bride forgives him, and together they decide to adopt one of the two sisters. Soukyna Gael stays in Africa, in their village, and Starla Naomi gets adopted away to America. A year after Starla is adopted, her adoptive parents go on a business trip, and they die in a plane crash on the way back, which sends her to live with her adoptive grandmother, who lives in poverty. Starla grows up in poverty, and never knows the better life that her adoptive parents had intended for her. Soukyna's birth mother was very young when her twins were born, out of wedlock, and when she does marry, it is to the King of Benin (the African country where they were born), thereby making her mother the Queen and her the Princess. However, even though Soukyna has grown up with a royal life, she hates it and wishes she could go on an adventure with no rules and royal regulations. When Starla's grandmother dies, the only person left to care for her is her adoptive aunt, who is an investigator for the Benin Emby in the United States. The Princess of Benin, Soukyna Gael, has gone missing (has actually run away), and because of the family's interest and familiarity with the area, Starla's aunt is hired to help find her. When they arrive, a full-on manhunt ensues, trying to find the Princess and return her safely home. One night, Soukyna sneaks through Starla's window, and they become friends. When Starla's aunt discovers Starla's new friend, Soukyna pretends to be one of the handservants, and gets away with staying hidden with her sister for a few weeks. Over these few weeks, they realise they're long lost sisters and learn everything about one another's lives. One day, Soukyna accidentally slips, and it's made known that she is the Princess of Benin. She doesn't know what to do, so she runs to her best friend/sister, Starla. They decide to switch places, and Starla ends up being the one turned in. Soukyna has practice being like Starla, so she fools everyone, and thinking that all is in order, Starla's aunt goes back to America with Soukyna in tow. Soon after Starla's aunt and Soukyna get back to America, a war breaks out in Benin between the royal family and a band of rebel citizens. They set fire to the palace, which is put out as fast as possible, but not before kills the King. Soukyna hears of this on the news back in America, and is very distraught. She contacts Starla, and convinces "her" uncle to bring a few of his missionaries there to help clean up. Before they get there, he discovers Soukyna talking on the phone with Starla one midnight, realises what's going on, and gets her to confess. His wife walks in on the conversation, and they decide to all return to Benin, to see what they can do about the political and familial situation. When they get there, they have a happy reunion, and stay in the unburned part of the palace together. One night at dinner, the Queen (who has known the truth all along but hasn't said anything), drugs the uncle's drink, and back in their quarters, the uncle confesses everything to the aunt (that he is really the twins' father, but never admitted it because he didn't want to admit, as a Christian man, that he had ever cheated on his wife). Starla overhears this, and goes to tell Soukyna, who is already fighting with her mother over the familial situation. The aunt storms off, and runs into the argument. The next day, the news has spread all over the palace, and the aunt cannot stand it anymore. She leaves the uncle, for the missionaries quarters, and returns to America when the other missionaries do. This leaves the uncle there, with the twins' mom, and since the news has gotten out, by Benin law, this makes him the new King. During this time, under everyone's noses, no-one has noticed that both twins have fallen in love. Starla to the first King (who she barely knew)s nephew, and Soukyna to a missionary who had happened to come with every time they were over there. This gives both of them the throne, but neither of them want it. After the weddings, the current Queen of Benin commits suicide, because she's gone crazy with all this going on around her, and since the aunt and uncle were never legally divorced, (and he is now the legal King of Benin), she inherits the throne (they have since made up somewhat, within the confines of planning their daughter's wedding). Our story ends with the American missionary and the ambador ruling the kingdom of Benin, together but not so happy, and the African twins living happily married in America, each getting
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