A sensation when it was published in 1966, this short novel by Dominican-born Jean Rhys is steamy -- both in its lush, tropical setting and goings-on among the characters. It is strong on atmosphere, well paced and a good look at the tension between white Creole society and the emerging identity of the recently independent West Indies. The book imagines the encounter between Edward Rochester and his mad wife -- a sort of prequel to Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre."  (CRB21, $13.95)