‘Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan’ doesn’t disappoint

When I was a little girl, I can remember my father loving action-adventure novels. He devoured books such as the Doc Savage series and many of the James Bond books.

His absolute favorites though were the Tarzan stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs. He would tell me stories of the "wild man of the jungle" and Jane, the girl who was often by his side. I was glued to my dad's every word.

So I was interested to see how a woman would present the Tarzan story, and author Robin Maxwell does not disappoint with her novel "Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan."

Maxwell, authorized by the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate to create this book, captures the wonder and fascination of the story of a wild man and the proper English lady who found and transformed him.

With a fast-paced storyline and a cast of mesmerizing characters, Maxwell takes her readers from the heart of England to the deepest, darkest parts of Africa as she spins the story of Jane Porter, the intrepid, curious young woman who follows her heart's desire to learn more about the early stages of man.

I was particularly fascinated with the interaction between Jane and Tarzan as they struggle to communicate with each other, finding an easy rhythm as the days pass. It was also exciting to read of the native tribes Jane encounters, as well as Tarzan's family of Mangani apes, who appear to be the possible missing link between primates and humans. And my heart broke as Tarzan takes Jane to the place where his mother and father had been shipwrecked and where clues to his background were to be found among the debris left behind.

“Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan” is a riveting novel and will appeal to readers who enjoy action, adventure, drama, a little romance and even a splash of humor.