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A sweeping historical epic by an author whose novels have sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
A ruined merchant sets sail to seek his fortune in the 19th century Spanish Empire. Haunted by his lost wealth, he gambles the last of his money on what will become the greatest adventure of his life.
When Mauro Larrea meets Soledad Montalvo, wife to a London wine merchant, she drags him into a most unexpected future, from the new Mexican republic to magnificent colonial Havana; and from the West Indies to the Andalusia of the 1860s, when the wine trade with England made the small city of Jerez legendary.
Temperance is a novel that speaks of glories and defeats, of silver mines, family intrigues, vineyards, cellars, and splendid cities of faded grandeur. This is a story of courage before adversity, and of a destiny altered for good by the force of passion.
About the author
María Dueñas is the author of the New York Times and internationally bestselling novel The Seamstress, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick that has been translated into twenty-five languages and inspired a successful television series, The Time In Between. Dueñas’ previous novel, The Heart Has Its Reasons, was also highly acclaimed, and her books have now sold over 6 million copies worldwide. She holds a PhD in English philology and is currently a professor at the University of Murcia. Dueñas has also taught at American universities, authored several academic articles, and has participated in various educational, cultural, and editorial projects. She lives in Murcia, Spain.Nick Caistor is a translator, journalist, and author of nonfiction books. He has translated some forty books from Spanish and Portuguese, including those by Paulo Coelho, Eduardo Mendoza, Juan Marsé, and Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, and has twice been awarded the Valle-Inclán prize for Spanish translation. He has presented and produced many programs on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service, and is a regular contributor to The Times Literary Supplement and The Guardian.
Summary
A sweeping historical epic by an author whose novels have sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
1861. A ruined silver-mine owner sets sail from Mexico City to seek his fortune in the New World.
Mauro Larrera has just four months to pay his creditors, or his bankruptcy will be revealed and his family’s honour will be in tatters. In magnificent Havana — home to beautiful women and dangerous men who deal in mysterious trades — he gambles what little he has left on what will become the greatest adventure of his life …
A Vineyard in Andalusia is a novel of glories and defeats; of silver mines, family secrets, vineyards, cellars, and splendid cities of faded grandeur; of unexpected passion, and love in the strangest of circumstances.
Once again, María Dueñas’ powerful storytelling and rich historical detail transport us to a faraway time and place, and on an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime.
Foreword
A sweeping historical epic by an author whose novels have sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
Additional text
‘In [A Vineyard in Andalusia], Dueñas demonstrates the same breezy and entertaining style she wields to such great effect in her previous works. She is an author who seems to put story first, more interested in delivering a good old-fashioned yarn than in trying to impress you with literary pyrotechnics.’
