Barbara Cuyler

Pretend Barbara Cuyler

When the majority of the Crawford family dies, the two remaining children are forced into a game of pretend in order to survive. As the years go by, the game becomes sinister as the mastermind behind it is willing to go to any lengths, including murder, to see that no one discovers the players' deceit. Grown now, older sister Elizabeth wishes to marry and let her brother David deal with the consequences of their fraudulent game alone, but her plans are threatened when a handsome stranger, claiming to be Elizabeth's husband, appears on the scene. Suddenly David is eager to see this mystery man remain in their lives, and he's willing to play his own game to see that happen-with consequences that ultimately force a beautiful, young woman to be stripped of her identity and dignity in order to remain with the man she loves. Set in 18th century England and then in the American colonies, the novel contains a number of plot twists and surprises, keeping the reader guessing as to which characters and events are real and which are pretend.