Vibrant, opinionated, and independent - that’s Galveston widow Rose Parrish. Seventy-six years old and in failing health, Rose is coming to grips with her life. She lives alone in a stately home once full of life; her only companions are her housekeeper, Pearl, her financial advisor, Captain J.J. Broussard, and a young medical student, Jesse Martin. Mary Powell weaves the separate stories of these people into a poignant and often humorous tale of
the good life
and
the good death.
Preparing for the inevitable, Rose sells all her stock to fund her last adventure; she changes her will to leave Jesse money to finish medical school and to give her house and its valuable antiques to the captain. Understanding Rose’s need to feel useful, the captain persuades Rose that they can build the most exciting nightclub and restaurant that Galveston has seen in decades. For the theme of her new club, Maison Rouge, Rose researches the history of Galveston and the life of Jean Lafitte, the pirate who first established Galveston as a center for smuggling. Powell’s rich descriptions of island life, the sometimes-raging weather, and the island’s uniquely spirited past vividly bring Galveston to life as a character all its own.