The nights were their secret. The papers back home call Ben Potter a hero of the Philippine-American War, but he knows the truth. When his estranged brother-in-law offers him work slashing sugarcane, Ben seizes the opportunity to atone--one acre at a time. At the hacienda Ben meets schoolteacher Allegra Alazas. While Allegra bristles at her family's traditional expectations, the one man who appreciates her intelligence and independence seems to be the very worst marriage prospect on the island... moreThe nights were their secret. The papers back home call Ben Potter a hero of the Philippine-American War, but he knows the truth. When his estranged brother-in-law offers him work slashing sugarcane, Ben seizes the opportunity to atone--one acre at a time. At the hacienda Ben meets schoolteacher Allegra Alazas. While Allegra bristles at her family's traditional expectations, the one man who appreciates her intelligence and independence seems to be the very worst marriage prospect on the island. Neither Ben nor Allegra fit easily in their separate worlds, so together they must build one of their own. But when Ben's wartime past crashes down upon them, it threatens to break their elusive peace. less
