City of love. City of splendour. City of terror. City of dreams. Inspired by the haunting, passionate story of the city of lights, this epic novel weaves a gripping tale of four families across the centuries: from the lies that spawn the noble line of de Cygne to the revolutionary Le Sourds who seek their destruction; from the Blanchards whose bourgeois respectability offers scant protection against scandal to the hard-working Gascons and their soaring ambitions. Over hundreds of years, these four families are bound by forbidden loves and marriages of convenience; dogged by vengeance and murderous secrets; torn apart by the irreconcilable differences of birth and faith, and brought together by the tumultuous history of their city. Paris bursts to life in the intrigue, corruption and glory of its people. Beloved author of Sarum, London and New York, Edward Rutherfurd illuminates Paris as only he can: capturing the romance and everyday drama of the men and women who, in two thousand years, transformed a humble trading post on the muddy banks of the Seine into the most celebrated city in the world.
'From the ice-age to the present day, Rutherfurd's scope is vast. Both historical novel and adventure epic, this is a work of universal appeal.' Kirkus UK, on SARUM
'Hold your breath suspense, buccaneering adventure, and passionate tales of love and war.' The Times, on LONDON
'Remarkable ... grand.' The New York Times, on LONDON
'Not all good things come in small packages. If you like books that are big, Edward Rutherfurd is your man. He writes wonderful sagas, tales that cover centuries, always keeping these long stories lively by telling us about the events and conflicts of people's lives. Rutherfurd does the painstaking research; the reader has all the fun.' The Seattle Times, on IRELAND
'Incredible storytelling ... Readers will fall in love with the iconic city.' Post and Courier, on NEW YORK
Author
About Edward Rutherfurd
Edward Rutherfurd was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and educated at Cambridge University and Stanford University in California. His first book, Sarum was based on the history of Salisbury. London, Russka. and The Forest, all draw on finely researched details of social history. Edward Rutherfurd previously lived in London and New York City but has had a home in Dublin for more than twelve years. He has two children.
