The Map of Bones

Mosse juggles two tales, two centuries apart in the fascinating if uneven conclusion to her Joubert Family series (after The Ghost Ship). In 1688, Suzanne Joubert, a Huguenot refugee, lands in Cape Colony, Southern Africa, after fleeing rampaging Catholic soldiers in Provence. Suzanne desperately wants to discover what became of her ancestor, Louise, who captained her own vessel to Africa, disrupting slaver ships before she vanished somewhere near the middle of the continent. After some lucky finds and numerous near-death experiences, Suzanne is shipwrecked off the coast of England, where she records her discoveries. Then, in 1862, Isabelle Lepard sets out to uncover the remainder of the story--including the fate of Louise's lover, who was born a woman but passed as a man--so she can write a historical account and open a Joubert Family Reading Room in London. The motivations for Mosse's heroines feel rather contrived, as do shoehorned-in recaps of the Jouberts' family history ("Forgive me for repeating what you know, gran'mère, but it helps me to order my thoughts"). Still, series fans will appreciate the vivid historical detail, headlong pace, and gratifyingly feminist finale. Flaws aside, this sends out Mosse's saga on a high note. Agent: Maria Rejt, Soho Agency. (Jan.)