Lee Langley's writing often delves into themes of loss and exile, drawing from her childhood experiences in India during periods of significant political upheaval. Her prose captures a profound sense of displacement and a yearning for places loved in youth, marked by a deep understanding of the human psyche. An award-winning author who also crafts film scripts and television adaptations, Langley brings a rich tapestry of travel and cultural insight to her literary work. Her distinctive voice conveys a melancholic beauty and an authentic portrayal of complex human experiences.
A richly imaginative novel of love, loss, time and the rise and fall of a great maritime empire, that sends two thwarted lovers spiralling through the chaos of history. Esperanca an illiterate peasant, a rich girl in Faro and a clever, bookish recluse who confronts a murderer in nineteenth-century Lisbon.
Taking a real historical figure, his extraordinary life, his passions, his friendship with Napoleon and the Venetian contessa who was Denon's great love, Lee Langley has created a rich canvas that captures the dying grandeur of Venice, Robespierre's terror, the battle of the Nile and a dazzling liaison dangereuse, alongside a tender love story.