FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING WINNER OF THE PRIX SORCIERES

From Europe to Africa, to the Caribbean, Alma tells a gripping story of hope, perseverance, and love.

"Vivid and exact...this is a book about heroism."-The New York Times

1786. Alma lives with her family in an African valley, isolated from the rest of the world. Her days are spent exploring their blissful homeland; until her little brother finds the only way out.

Meanwhile, in Lisbon, the petty thief Joseph Mars manages to get himself on board the Douce Amelie, a slave ship, to look for a fabulous treasure. The ship's captain, Lazare Gardel, is also hunting for treasure, that of the notorious pirate Luc de Lerne. Alma sets out on his trail, when she comes face to face with groups of Ashanti hunters, who capture and enslave everyone they meet. The journey to bring her brother home quickly becomes an intricate mission of self-preservation.

While everyone is searching for something, Alma and Joseph's lives become intertwined on land and sea. In a whirlwind of adventures between Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, their quests and their destinies lead them irresistibly towards each other.

About the Author
Timothee de Fombelle is a Paris-based playwright, and author of award-winning fiction. His first series, Toby Alone and Toby Alone and the Secrets of the Tree has been published in 27 languages and won numerous awards including France's prestigious Prix Sorcieres and the Marsh Award. Timothee's adventure series, Vango, Book One: Between Sky and Earth was granted an English Pen Award for translation. Holly James is a translator, writer, and editor from the UK. She translates from French, German and Spanish. She currently lives in Paris.

Reviews
"Vivid and exact...this is a book about heroism." * The New York Times *
"De Fombelle writes minimally for maximum effect . . . packs a punch."
"An action-packed tale about heartbreak and resilience." * Publisher's Weekly *
"The attention to period detail is not incidental, given the explosive nature of the subject matter: the African slave trade and the Middle Passage to the French colonies. To some extent, the routine features of the adventure are in tension with the particular sorrows of the kidnapped... De Fombelle recognizes many of these agonies, and his succinct and devastating explanations of the customs of the slave trade powerfully animate the facts." * The New York Times Book Review *
"Beautiful writing, intricate plotting, and breathless reveals."
"Breathtakingly readable." * Booklist (starred review) *
"Luminous . . . This uncompromising book sheds light on the violence in American society." * ActuaLitte *
"Mixes the historical and the romantic in a dark whirlwind."



Book Information
ISBN 9781787704015
Author Timothee de Fombelle
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
Publisher Europa Editions (UK) Ltd