NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorBarbaraWood’slatestnovelfollowsadisinheritedEnglishbaronandayoungNewYorkheiresswhomarryandmoveWesttobuildanagriculturalempireinPalmSpringsinthe1920swhenitwasjustabuddingtownontheedgeoftheMojaveDesert.It’sasagaaboutambitiononbothlargeandsmallscalesandtherapidlymodernizingworldastheharsh,sun-drenchedlandscapetransformsfromaNativeAmericanhaventotheplaygroundofHollywood’srichandfamous.LandoftheAfternoonSunisalsothestoryofawomanfindingherownpersonalityandstrengthintheWestagainstabreathtakingdesertlandscapethatchangesconstantlyandshowsitsdeadlysideinpoisonoussnakes,flashfloodsandsandstorms,withdramaticmomentsofforbiddenromance,reversals,treachery,betrayaland,ultimately,triumphs.