Karleen Koen Livres

Nous sommes au début du XVIIIe siècle, en Angleterre, troublée par les rivalités entre les Hannover et les Stuart. Le père de Barbara Alderley, partisan des Stuart, a dû fuir en France ; sa mère, la belle mais dissolue Diana, tente à Londres de se racheter aux yeux de la Cour en dissociant ses responsabilités de celles de son mari et en invoquant publiquement le divorce, un acte scandaleux à cette époque. C'est dans ce climat incandescent et corrompu que Barbara doit se frayer un chemin pour affirmer et défendre son droit à être femme.

Originally published: [New York?]: Crown Pub., 2011.

A bride at fifteen, widowed at the tender age of twenty, Barbara, Countess Devane, embarks for colonial Virginia financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances. Dressed in mourning as is proper for a woman, she is patronizingly described as a "fragile black butterfly," but the fragility is deceiving. She makes a place for herself in the new world, takes lovers and friends across political divides, and questions the established traditions of slavery. Facing enemies she never suspected, she must return to England and deal face to face with the problems created by her husband, who haunts her even in death. Back in London, she quickly finds herself pulled into Jacobite plotting, and the treachery of powerful men suddenly threatens her family, her friends--and a new love

Set in the vibrant backdrop of seventeenth-century England, this prequel delves into a world filled with passion, extravagance, and intrigue. Readers can expect a rich tapestry of danger and scandal that captures the essence of the era, expanding on the beloved characters and themes from the original novel. The narrative promises to engage with the complexities of the time, offering a compelling exploration of relationships and societal norms.