The Killing of a Maine White Dove

At the Maine island lakeside estate of famous movie star Irina Cabot (nee Sorin) and her rich attorney brother, Peter, now old and sick, they and others gather to see Irina’s high strung son Connie’s new monologue poem performed by his beloved young starlet Nina Shapiro. Also present are Irina’s paramour Alex Tragen, a rising movie star who she has made and can destroy; Mattie Andrews, a functioning alcoholic who loves Connie and was abused by Peter as a child; her parents, the estate managers Eli and Paulina Andrews; her lover, Doctor Eugene Canejo, and Simon Medvie, a teacher who loves Mattie. Desperately humiliated by his mother during the show, Connie suffers a breakdown which increases until he destroys Nina’s love for him, killing a white dove and wiping her face with its blood, terrifying her. He then shoots himself in his head. Floundering, Nina is easy prey for Alex, who convinces Nina and himself of his love. Although helplessly in love with him, Nina must protect her kid sister from their violently abusive stepfather. Realizing she is pregnant, Nina informs Alex. Terrified Irina will destroy his career, he lies to Nina and goes with Irina to do their movie, “”Superman”” Mother.”” Months pass. Discovering Nina is pregnant, Nina’s stepmother informs her violent stepfather who beats her so badly she miscarriages.. Innocent and unknowing, she goes to Alex, who hides her in his artist loft apart from Irina. But Sepsis has set in. Now finding her ugly and stupid, Alex erodes her shredded remnants of self identity then kicks her out. Out of her mind she becomes a bag lady living on the streets of New York. Two years pass. On a stormy fall night everyone has gathered at the Sorin estate. Mattie, now pregnant, drinking more than ever, married Simon in foolish hopes of forgetting Connie. Simon is indeed long suffering, being the object of Mattie’s rage at Peter for abusing her as a child, and her lost love for Connie. He has taken a position in Kansas in hopes of a new start, but now Mattie plans to divorce him. Her mother and father, Eli and Paulina, fear what will happen to her and their grandchild. Paulina remains in love with Eugene who left her and the island, but has returned. As always, his intended helpful comments don’t help them. Irina and Alex have returned after two years. The “”Superman’s Mother”” movie a flop and their stars on the wane. He’d like to move on. Peter, near death, needs Mattie to forgive him his abuse of her when a child. He wants to support her and Simon, even if they divorce. There is suspicion that Nina has returned to the island. Her stepfather beat her kid sister so badly she wound up in hospital, She is not the young innocent child woman who ran of two years ago. She hid the gun when Connie shot himself. Crazy as ever in love with her, Connie followed her through her path of hell in New York. Witness to life’s cruelties, he knows what it means when there are gun shots across the lake in Nina’s home and waits for her. When she comes he asks her not to harm his mother. They pledge their love. She goes inside the house. There are three gun shots. Eugene comes to the door and asks Connie to come in, saying, “”Your mother needs you.”” —- ISBN: 9798990923805