The villagers had never seen anything like it: dense white curtains of snow that instantly transformed the landscape. Not in autumn, not here in Burgundy. And on the same night a baby was discovered, dark-eyed little Maria, who would transform all their lives.Hundreds of miles away in the mountains of Abruzzo, another foundling, Clara, astonishes everyone with her extraordinary talent for piano-playing. But her gifts go far beyond simple musicianship.As a time of great danger looms, though the girls know nothing of each other, it is the bond that unites them and others like them, which will ultimately offer the only chance for good to prevail in the world.
The highly anticipated new novel from the acclaimed author of "The Elegance of the Hedgehog", this is literary fantasy in a similar vein of Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Buried Giant". In Burgundy in the autumn, thick snow covers everything, and dark-eyed baby Maria is discovered; hundreds of miles away in the mountains of Abruzzo, foundling Clara astonishes everyone with her piano playing. As a great danger looms, these two girls must unite: they are the only chance for good to prevail in the world.
'Vivid imagery and a thread of mystery draw readers into the timeless and ethereal world of these young girls with a destiny to fulfill.' Booklist
'This is a truly enchanting story, beautifully told and rich in meaning. (?) this book truly deserves to be read by story lovers of all ages.' The Irish Times
'An emotional, entertaining examination of magic in the modern world' France Today
'A hymn to music, art, nature, love, land ("terroir"), the dignity of work, simplicity and the yearning for peace.'The Australian
'A beguiling fairy tale.' The New York Times
'This novel glows with finely crafted prose.' Los Angeles Review of Books
'A beautifully written fantasy.' Breakaway Reviewers
'Fans of both Barbery and fantasy from writers like Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen will be enchanted.'Library Journal
'?this fervent, idiosyncratic fable is undeniable evidence of a richly lyrical imagination.' Kirkus Reviews
