Lily, a farmer's daughter in nineteenth-century China, learns that proper footbinding can enhance her marriage prospects and change her family's fortunes. As she endures the painful process, she befriends Snow Flower and learns nu shu, a secret women's writing. However, an unexpected twist threatens her new life.
Spanning the 1930s to the present day, from a magnificent estate in war-torn England to Thailand, this sweeping debut tells the tale of a concert pianist, Julia, and the prominent Crawford family whose shocking secrets are revealed, leading to devastating consequences for generations to come.
Az írónő ismét izgalmas kalandok felé vezeti nem mindennapi hoseit, Tobias Marchot és igézó társát, Lavinia Lake-et. Egy meghívás a távoli, romantikus vidéki kastélyba, Beaumont Castle-ba azzal az ígérettel kecsegteti a kissé különc, ám tökéletesen összeilló párt, hogy egy kis időre elszökhetnek a lármás Londonból, a kíváncsi szemek és rosszindulatú pletykák elől. Am rögtön a legelső, meghittnek igérkező hétvégén szép terveket fel borítja egy különös nó, aki Tobias múltjából bukkan elő Aspasia Gray szépsége éppolyan nyugtalanító Lavinia számára, mint Tobiashoz fúzódó kapcsolata. A lány elhunyt volegénye ugyanis Tobias barátja volt, foglalkozására nézve pedig orgyilkos A kettejük közötti különös kötelék Lavinia számára szinte elviselhetetlen. Amikor a kastélybeli események arra utalnak, hogy valaki megirigyelte az elhunyt orgyilkos módszereit, a detektivpáros lázas nyomozásba kezd. Felrúnnek az arisztokraták előkelő birtokain éppúgy, mint London legsötétebb sikátoraiban, hogy megvivják végső csatájukat egy titokzatos, mindenre elszánt gaz emberrel.
Lose yourself in the sun-drenched hills of the Amalfi coast with Santa Montefiore... Gianluca has to admit his life is empty so, in search of serenity and a deeper purpose to his existence, he flees to Italy, to the magical Palazzo Montelimone, lovingly restored by his parents, to assess his future. But life on the sun-drenched Amalfi coast is not as peaceful as Luca anticipates. The palazzo is filled with his mother's eccentric friends and haunted by the ghosts of its murderous past. He meets a woman whose dark eyes are heavy with sorrow and a solemn little boy with an incredible secret. As he begins to unravel a mystery that has its roots in a long-ago act of violence, Luca is forced to face his greatest fear in exchange for the greatest truth.
Would you risk everything for love? Bestselling children's book writer Angelica is amused and flattered at the attention of Jack, the owner of a vineyard in South Africa, whom she meets at a dinner party. With his easy charm and reputation as a ladies' man, Jack makes her feel good about herself - surely it can't do any harm to indulge in a mild email flirtation? This recording is unabridged. Typically abridged audiobooks are not more than 60 per cent of the author's work and as low as 30 per cent with characters and plotlines removed.