Ralestone Luck
The Ralestone siblings—an older brother and his two younger charges—return to their ancestral Louisiana mansion, a crumbling monument to a past steeped in piracy and whispers of a hidden family 'luck.' With their fortunes dwindling and the estate teetering on the brink of ruin, they embark on a desperate quest for this mysterious talisman, believing it holds the key to restoring their family's former glory. Their search is complicated by the arrival of a rival claimant to the property and an enigmatic swamp boy who seems to be on a similar treasure hunt, all while the house itself seems to guard its secrets with a silent, humid intensity.
Editions
X-Ray
An 18-year-old 'Black' Ralestone with dark hair and features, recovering from a plane crash that left him with a damaged leg. He's artistic, drawing animal cartoons, and serves as one of the main viewpoint characters.
Val's twin sister, a spirited 'Red' Ralestone with mahogany hair and three-cornered face. She's impulsive, romantic, and determined to restore the family's fortunes.
The eldest Ralestone brother and current master of Pirate's Haven. A world traveler and secret novelist, he's reserved and mysterious but deeply cares for his siblings.
A swamp-dwelling young man initially thought to be a local trapper, later revealed as the missing Ralestone heir. He's been secretly entering the house as a 'ghost' searching for his heritage.
About Ralestone Luck
Chapter Summaries
- 1
- The three Ralestone siblings arrive at their ancestral Louisiana plantation, Pirate's Haven, which they've inherited but never seen. They explore their new home and learn about the family legend of the Luck of Lorne, a medieval sword that disappeared when their ancestor Rick vanished after a duel.
- 2
- The family settles in and meets their loyal servants Sam and Lucy. They discover a mysterious handkerchief left by an intruder and hear the full legend of their family's luck-bringing sword and the curse that followed its loss.
- 3
- Val encounters a hostile swamp boy named Jeems in the garden. The family meets their tenant Charity Biglow, an artist, and discovers more evidence of nighttime intruders in their home.
Key Themes
- Family Legacy and Heritage
- The story explores how family history and traditions shape identity, as the Ralestones reconnect with their ancestral home and discover their true heritage through the missing sword and lost cousin.
- Home and Belonging
- After years of separation in schools and institutions, the siblings find their true home at Pirate's Haven, which represents stability, family unity, and their rightful place in the world.
- Loyalty and Service
- The devotion of the African American characters like Lucy and Sam to the Ralestone family illustrates themes of loyalty transcending social boundaries, though viewed through 1930s racial perspectives.
Characters
- Valerius (Val) Ralestone(protagonist)
- An 18-year-old 'Black' Ralestone with dark hair and features, recovering from a plane crash that left him with a damaged leg. He's artistic, drawing animal cartoons, and serves as one of the main viewpoint characters.
- Richanda (Ricky) Ralestone(protagonist)
- Val's twin sister, a spirited 'Red' Ralestone with mahogany hair and three-cornered face. She's impulsive, romantic, and determined to restore the family's fortunes.
- Rupert Ralestone(major)
- The eldest Ralestone brother and current master of Pirate's Haven. A world traveler and secret novelist, he's reserved and mysterious but deeply cares for his siblings.
- Roderick 'Jeems' St. Jean Ralestone(major)
- A swamp-dwelling young man initially thought to be a local trapper, later revealed as the missing Ralestone heir. He's been secretly entering the house as a 'ghost' searching for his heritage.
- Charity Biglow(major)
- A Boston artist renting the overseer's house, painting illustrations for magazines. She becomes close to the family and eventually marries Rupert.
- René LeFleur(major)
- The family's Creole lawyer whose family has served the Ralestones for over a century. He helps resolve the legal challenges to their inheritance.
Link to this book
Add a free, dofollow link to Lex on your blog, forum, syllabus, or reading list.
<a href="https://lex-books.com/book/ralestone-luck-7243d76b-2055-418a-b880-94744c2c7273"><img src="https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg" alt="Read Ralestone Luck by Andre Norton free on Lex" width="160" height="40"></a>[](https://lex-books.com/book/ralestone-luck-7243d76b-2055-418a-b880-94744c2c7273)[url=https://lex-books.com/book/ralestone-luck-7243d76b-2055-418a-b880-94744c2c7273][img]https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg[/img][/url]Read Ralestone Luck by Andre Norton free on Lex: https://lex-books.com/book/ralestone-luck-7243d76b-2055-418a-b880-94744c2c7273Cite this book
Reading this edition for a paper or guide? Copy a citation.
Norton, Andre. Ralestone Luck. Lex, lex-books.com/book/ralestone-luck-7243d76b-2055-418a-b880-94744c2c7273.Norton, A. (n.d.). Ralestone Luck. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/ralestone-luck-7243d76b-2055-418a-b880-94744c2c7273Norton, Andre. Ralestone Luck. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/ralestone-luck-7243d76b-2055-418a-b880-94744c2c7273.
