The Mermaid Garden (The House by the Sea) (ARC)

434 Pages·2016·4 MB·English

by  Montefiore Santa

S Simon & SchuSter
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Santa Montefiore
The Mermaid Garden
A Novel

The internationally bestselling author of The French Gardener presents a complex and
irresistibly compelling novel that confirms the remarkable power of love to heal and
transform.

T en year old Floriana is captivated by the beauty of the Tuscan villa that overlooks the sea
just outside her village. She likes to spy from the crumbling wall into the gardens and
imagine living there. Then, one day, Dante, the son of the villa’s wealthy owner invites
her inside. He shows her the enchanting Mermaid Garden and from that moment on Floriana
knows that her destiny is in that garden, with him. But as they grow up they cross an unseen
line, jeopardising the very thing they hold most dear.
Decades later, a beautiful country house hotel on England’s Devon coast has fallen on
hard times after the crash of 2008. Its owner, Marina, advertises for an artist-in-residence to stay
the summer and teach the guests to paint. The charismatic and wise man she hires soon begins
to pacify the discord in her family and transform the fortunes of the hotel. However, he is not
who he seems. He has his own agenda. Is it to destroy, to seduce, or to heal?
Spanning four decades and sweeping from the Italian countryside to the English coast,
this new story by Santa Montefiore is a moving and mysterious tale of love, forgiveness and the
past revealed.

Praise for Santa Montefiore:
“Santa Montefiore is a superb storyteller….Her plots are sensual, sensitive and complex: her
characters are unforgettable life forces: her love stories are desperate yet uplifting. One laughs
as much as one cries.”—Plum Sykes, author of The Debutante Divorcee

“Epic in scope and emotion, but also brilliantly observant and truthful…surprising, moving,
and skillful.” —Elizabeth Buchan, author of Separate Beds

“Montefiore is a grand storyteller. All in all, a fine way for American readers to get to know the
Montefiore name, which will very soon be cropping up in the same sentences as the name
Maeve Binchy.” —Booklist, starred review

Santa Montefiore is the author of The French Gardener, The Perfect Happiness, and many other novels that
have been translated into twenty languages and sold more than three million copies worldwide. She lives
in London with her husband, historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore, and their two children.

The Mermaid Garden
May 3, 2011
Touchstone
Fiction
6 x 9, 432 pages
$24.99/NCR
ISBN: 978-1-4516-2430-4
Contact: Marcia Burch
[email protected]
NONMERCH9781451635638
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Also by Santa Montefiore
The Perfect Happiness
The French Gardener
Sea of Lost Love
The Gypsy Madonna
Last Voyage of the Valentina
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The
Mermaid
Garden
Santa Montefiore
A Touchstone Book
Published by Simon & Schuster
New York London Toronto Sydney
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Touchstone
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either
a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Santa Montefiore
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof
in any form whatsoever. For information address Touchstone Subsidiary rights
Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Touchstone hardcover edition May 2011
TOUCHSTONE and colophon are registered trademarks of
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Designed by Renata Di Biase
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN 978-1-4516-2430-4
ISBN 978-1-4516-2431-1 (ebook)
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To my darling Sebag, with love
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Acknowledgments
I couldn’t have written this book without the help of two very special
people. Firstly, my husband, Sebag. I knew my story, but I couldn’t work
out how to fit all the pieces of my plot together. Sebag paced up and
down the kitchen floor of our cottage while I hugged a mug of tea and
wrote notes. We tossed about ideas as the day melted into evening . . .
and then the plot began to take shape. Finally, as the moon settled high
in the sky and the owls began to hoot, we put it to bed—exhausted!
However, there was one problem—good though we thought it was, we
couldn’t work out how to pull off the central twist.
For such a technical problem I needed an expert. I called upon the
experience of my old university friend, Charlie Carr—an investigator.
Thank you, Charlie, for slicing through the Gordian knot—it seems
so simple in retrospect, but all the best plots do! I couldn’t have done it
without you.
And thank you, Sebag, for once again being my Sherlock Holmes.
A large part of this story takes place in Tuscany. I lived in Italy in
my early twenties, but that doesn’t prevent me from making terrible
errors. So, I sought the help of my trusty Italian friends. I thank them
all: Eduardo Teodorani Fabbri, Stefano Bonfiglio and Sofia Barattieri
di san Pietro.
When I was considering where to set my story, I went to stay with
Olga Polizzi at her enchanting country house hotel, Endsleigh. There
is something magical about Endsleigh. Snuggled deep in the Devon
countryside, it is built above a winding river and sheltered by ancient
trees. Olga has flair and warmth so Endsleigh feels more like a home
than a hotel—and I felt right at home there! It was autumn. Giant log
fires filled the rooms with the cozy smell of woodsmoke and clusters of
tea lights in purple glass tumblers glowed on every surface. The atmo-
sphere was soft and embracing, and I didn’t want to leave.
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viii Acknowledgments
So, I have based my hotel, the Polzanze, on Endsleigh, and hope
that I have channeled some of its spirit. I thank Olga for inspiring me
because with two small children it’s hard for me to travel, so inspiration
is in short supply—I have to rely on memories. But there is nothing as
invigorating as discovering new and wonderful places.
Everything I write comes out of the great big cauldron that contains
all my life’s experiences. If it is rich, it is thanks to my parents, Charles
and Patty Palmer-Tomkinson. I couldn’t have written a single word
without their wisdom, guidance, and love.
I want to give special thanks to my agent, Sheila Crowley. Tireless in
her support and always positive, she’s a valuable ally and a good friend.
The team at Curtis Brown are buzzing with energy and enthusiasm,
and I thank them all for the work they do on my behalf.
I am fortunate enough to be published by Simon & Schuster both
sides of the Atlantic. I have two dynamic editors, Suzanne Baboneau
in the U.K. and Trish Todd in the United States. Both steer me in the
right direction and bring out the best that I can give. I’m so grateful for
their belief in my writing and their astute and sensitive editing.
I would also like to thank Libby Yevtushenko for working so hard on
the manuscript and improving it with intelligence and tact.
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