Unicorn Dreams

Book excerpt: Unicorn Dreams is an amusing family saga about the Andros family as seen through the eyes of Edward, its youngest member. He begins his reminiscences in the year 1980 when the sight of so many unicorns on department store shelves causes him to recall his sister-in-law, Alissa, who had a special connection with that heraldic beast. It is the impact of Alissa on various family members which is the backbone of the novel. Whether seen as saint or sinner, no one remains indifferent to Alissa. Among the various family members who are affected by Alissa is Eleanor Andros, matriarch of the clan. She often compares herself to Eleanor of Aquitaine whom, despite what the historians say, she refers to as "that dear saintly queen." There's Arthur, Alissa's husband, eldest son and heir to the family business who deserted the clan with nary a backward glance. Next comes Richard, recluse and malcontent, who especially despises Alissa whom he blames for Arthur's alienation and the subsequent destruction of his dreams of a promising music career. John is the black sheep of the family whose selfish behavior is the biggest thorn in Eleanor's side. Lastly, there's Edward himself, struggling against family opposition and resentment to become a doctor during the difficult Depression years. Besides the immediate family, members of the extended family are also drawn into Alissa's web. There's lovable obese Uncle Theo whose ideas are as outrageous as his thickly Greek-accented English. Eleanor's half brother, Teddy Busby, bon vivant and ladies' man, is attracted by Alissa's lure. While his daughter, Melinda, shares his infatuation, his son, Roderick, is determined to play Mordred in Alissa's Camelot. These are a few of the characters who are woven into the tangled tapestry of the Andros family's life as they struggle together, and sometimes against each other, to survive bootlegging, prohibition, the Depression, World War II, and all the crises which affect everyone throughout a lifetime. Whether laughing together at a family dinner, attending a lavish Elizabethan costume party, or suffering together through the losses of death and divorce, Alissa's influence, for good or bad, is profoundly felt by everyone.