Since the eighteenth century the eccentric and flamboyant Beltran family have ruled their desolate Andean valley. Now they are almost extinct.
At seventeen, Lydia Sinclair, newly married to Don Diego Beltran, the last of the line, arrives at the vast decaying Hacienda La Bebella. As her husband retreats into himself, Lydia takes refuge in unearthing his ancestors' tragic history. Benito, the family's oldest retainer, relates to her tales of splendour and romance, violence and suffering. From these she weaves a rich gothic tapestry in which the fantastic legends of the past are mingled with the present necessity for survival in a harsh, drought-ridden land.
'A spellbinding storyteller. . . the book enthrals' - John Mellors in the Listener 'Exceptional first novel, richly evocative and cunningly crafted'- Observer
- For THE HACIENDA - 'She writes with extraordinary vividness and clarity - she faces reality with a courage and skill that left me not knowing which to admire more: her gift as a writer or that she had the guts to carve out a place for herself in such an unforgiving world.' INDEPENDENT
Paperback:
£7.99
Published 01/09/2005
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