la nuit de l'iguana

Having left the church two years ago as a man of the cloth, Dr. T. Laurance Shannon works as a tour guide for third rate El Paso-based Blake's Tours, his current bus tour down the west coast of Mexico as far south as Puerto Vallarta with a group of middle aged Baptist women led by Judith Fellowes. He denies being defrocked by those that make that accusation, although he does not deny being asked to leave the church for conduct unbecoming. The reasons, which include inappropriate behavior with a Sunday school teacher, have left him a psychologically damaged man in the situation that led to the accusations. He may be facing the same problem on this tour as one young woman in the group, underage Charlotte Goodall, long ago having reached her sexual awakening, is actively pursuing him, her wealthy father who sent her on this trip to get her away from a boy at home. While Shannon has had other problems with her, Miss Fellowes, Charlotte's chaperon, accuses him of leading on Charlotte, although Miss Fellowes may have other reasons personal to herself which are leading to the accusations. As Miss Fellowes has threatened to report him to anyone that matters with her goal to have him fired never to work in the business again, Shannon, upon arriving in Puerto Vallarta, instead commandeers the bus and the group to the isolated fishing village of Mismaloya to the rustic hilltop hotel run by his friend, outwardly brash and recently widowed Maxine Faulk, there where Miss Fellowes would have greater difficulty getting word to the outside world. In the hotel otherwise being closed in this, the off season, the only other guests are New England spinster Hannah Jelkes, and her aged "Nonno" (grandfather), who Maxine has allowed to stay in she knowing that they are penniless, although Miss Jelkes peddles her sketches to tourists to earn what little money they have. This trip is one of enlightenment for Nonno, a poet, and by association Miss Jelkes. This collective's time together may lead to some regaining their moral compass, religious or mostly otherwise.