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THE CHARACTERS: PEOPLE
JADE DEL CAMERON: an American “mutt.”
Her Spanish mother, Inez Maria Isabelle de Vincente, hails from Andalusia. Her father, Richard del Cameron, has a mixture of Spanish, Irish, and Pueblo Indian blood. But there is more mystery in Jade’s ancestry than either of her parent’s suspect. After all, the Andalusians have their own secret past. Jade was born on a sheep and horse ranch near Taos, New Mexico, and raised to be a woods-woman. She could track, handle her Winchester to defend the livestock and hunt, and take apart and repair her father’s model T.
Jade’s mother decided her daughter needed a little more culture and sent her to Winsor Woman’s College in London at the recommendation of a neighbor. At Winsor College, Jade studied foreign languages and met Beverly Heathington. When the Great War erupted, Jade and Beverly signed up with the Hackett-Lowther Ambulance Unit, one of the few women's units to drive in the front lines. She met David Worthy, a British pilot, while on leave in Paris.
As a literary character, Jade del Cameron is a blend of several real life women. One of them is Zella de Milhau. This unique American woman was an artist, a WWI ambulance driver, and a recipient of a Crois de Guerre awarded by the French for heroism at the front in WWI. Later she helped save a community of American people during a hurricane. I blended her with explorer Osa Johnson and pilot Beryl Markham to become one character whose life is surrounded by mystery and intrigue: Jade del Cameron.
… and alphabetically from the series
BACHIR: A Berber from Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, sent to bring Jade to the Berber village. He assisted the French during the Great War.
CHIUMBO: a member of the Nyamwezi tribe in Tanganyika. A good headman for safaris, he’s often in demand thus making it an honor for Jade and her friends to contract with him to take over the day-to-day mechanics of their safari. But the man is doing more than running the safari staff. He is searching for the people who came into his village and destroyed his family.
LORD COLRIDGE: one of the pre-railroad settlers. He’s famous for his many pronouncements and bushy white mustache, as well as his fine racehorses.
INEZ MARIA ISABELLE DE VINCENTE DEL CAMERON: Jade’s mother and a classic Spanish Dona. Inez rules her husband’s ranch and attempts to rule Jade’s life. In her youth, she ran with the gypsies on her family’s estates.
RICHARD DEL CAMERON: an American rancher living near Cimarron, New Mexico. His goal was to be an explorer after reading Powell’s exploits on the Colorado River. During his search for his own Spanish past, he met Inez.
LORD AVERY DUNBURY: a flying Ace from the Great War. His nobility goes deeper than his title. He’s fiercely loyal to country and friends, and very protective of his new bride, Beverly. He decides to make East Africa their home.
BEVERLY DUNBURY (nee: Heathington): the epitome of a British beauty with her silvery-blonde hair and water-color blue eyes. The looks may appear fragile, but Beverly herself is certainly nothing of the kind. A former ambulance driver with Jade in the Hackett-Lowther, she’s a top-notch driver and mechanic, with a wicked sense of humor.
CISSY ESTES: a drunkard and a shirt chaser in the Nairobi set.
SAM FEATHERSTONE: a young, American war pilot turned would-be film maker. His interest in Jade causes him and Harry to butt heads as they vie for her attentions.
INSPECTOR FINCH: One of “Nairobi’s finest,” a police official who questions everyone and everything. Also a very shabby dresser.
ROGER FORSTER: his first go at ostrich-ranching failed due to the market falling out. Like Harry Hascombe, Roger turns to cattle ranching and leading safaris. He has little patience with the native Africans.
HARRY HASCOMBE: a cattle rancher and Great White Hunter. He’s "pre-railroad" and took a turn at mining as well as hunting for ivory before becoming a rancher. He’s handsome, daring, and definitely interested in Jade - but more than she is interested in him due to his questionable ethics.
STUART HOLLY: a banker who can’t hold his booze. He’s always on the lookout for a pretty face, including Jade’s
JELANI: a young native African of the Kikuyu tribe. The lone son of aging parents, his dream and goal is to become a warrior to give pride to his mother and father. His quick wits, intelligence, and bravery bring him to Jade’s notice and he accepts her offer of tutelage, learning to read and write English so he may become a leader for his people. His studies will continue at the feet of the tribe’s shaman, the mundu-mugo.
MOHAN: A Berber man from Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. He is married to Yamna and is devoted to his little daughter.
NAKURU: Harry Hascombe’s Nyamwezi headman and gunbearer.
PILI: a Somali manservant for Lord Colridge. He becomes Jade’s gunbearer on her first safari.
RUTA: a member of the Maasai, a proud and brave tribe. For a while he works for Harry Hascombe on the cattle ranch, taking care of the cattle, and having special charge over Hascombe’s pet cheetah, Biscuit. He’s also Hascombe’s gunbearer and tracker.
MADELINE THOMPSON: a coffee farmer’s wife, transplanted from the English countryside into Africa. Lonely for closer neighbors, she latches onto Jade as a new friend and continues to play matchmaker whenever possible to bring Jade more permanently into her sphere. Her desire to help her husband reduce their mortgage (the overdraft) leads her to write creative fictionalizations about Jade.
NEVILLE THOMPSON: a settler and coffee farmer with a strong hero worship of the original “pre-railroad” settlers. He’s handy with mechanics, but his own ideas (such as herding crocodiles to sell for leather) on how to make extra money and reduce the overdraft tend to be riskier than his wife’s.
DAVID WORTHY: a young British pilot hopelessly in love with Jade. David is willing to do any daring feat to gain her approval and he entrusts her with his dying wish.
GIL WORTHY: David’s father. When David was just a little boy, Gil went to East Africa to make a name and fortune for himself. He succeeded, instead, in making an illegitimate son. In an attempt to find the boy later, he dies mysteriously in his Nairobi hotel room.
OLIVIA LILITH WORTHY: David’s mother and Gil’s widow. An ice-queen, she bears no love for Jade when Jade brings her news of another heir to Gil Worthy.
YAMNA: Zoulikha’s daughter, and next in line to be Kahina of the Lion Tribe of Berbers in the Atlas mountains. She is married to the tribe’s Kaid (chieftain).
ZOULIKHA: An elderly Berber woman and the spiritual leader (or Kahina) of the Lion Tribe. She is a woman of strong will and vast knowledge of many things, including Jade.
ANIMALS, AUTOMOBILES, AND AIRPLANES:
- Biscuit - Hascombe’s pet cheetah who develops a strong attachment to Jade and to Jelani.
- Flivver - The half beloved, half derogatory nickname for the Ford Model T, which became Jade’s favorite ambulance vehicle during the Great War.
- Jenny - The nickname for the Curtiss JN-4, a plane used for training during the Great War and the favorite with barnstormers afterwards.
- Percy - Hascombe’s pet lion who is a bit too dimwitted to learn proper manners and must be confined to his pen.
- Indian Big Twin motorcycle - Jade’s red 1915 motorcycle which she uses to get around the colony. That is, when she’s not up in Sam’s Jenny.
- Panhard Sport – Jade’s transportation in Morocco. A beautiful French automobile with black hood and cedar side panels.
THE CHARACTERS: THE PLACES
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