Available in America at last--the first of Joanna Trollope's long-awaited historical series--An enchanting story of a young woman who must learn the difference between hope and illusion, set against the exotic backdrop of World War II Malta
With her bestselling novels about the emotional dynamics of family life, Joanna Trollope has garnered devoted fans in England and the United States. Her sensitive and unerring portraits have earned her rave reviews. Now she brings her memorable characters and complex family dramas to the first of several historical novels that Viking will publish--The Brass Dolphin, a rich, complex, and wonderfully engaging love story set amid the drama of World War II.
It is 1938 and a young woman and her father are faced with financial disaster. With the loss of their home imminent, Lila Cunningham and her father have no choice but to accept the offer of a house in Malta. It is on this hot, ancient island, in the magnificent but crumbling Villa Zonda, that Lila must face the fears and devastation of impending war and learns both to overcome that fear and, in so doing, the value of true love.
Both harrowing and romantic, The Brass Dolphin combines the best of Joanna Trollope's keen and complex portrayal of the human condition with her ability to describe the passion and suffering in a dramatic corner of Europe during World War II.
"[The Caroline Harvey historical novels] are excellent books. . . . The Brass Dolphin is an account of the extraordinary experiences of the Maltese during the war. . . . By the end of this well-researched novel, Lila (our heroine) has changed and learned a lot, and so will those who read about her."--The Sunday Telegraph