Author(s): Jane Johnson

Fiction

'An unashamedly escapist page-turner' Daily Mail

In an exclusive London restaurant, Julia Lovat is given a gift that will change her life. The antique book of Jacobean embroidery delights her, but when she looks more closely, she discovers within its faded pages the extraordinary diary of a young Cornish girl, calling to her from across the centuries.

On a Sunday morning in July 1625, Barbary pirates sail into a quiet Cornish bay and storm the church. Their loot: sixty men, women and children, bound for northern Morocco where they will be sold as slaves. Amongst them is Cat Tregenna, a talented young embroiderer. But as her diary reveals, Cat is anything but the compliant slave her captors were expecting...

'An engrossing romance of clashing cultures and wonderful characters' Diana Gabaldon

'Beautifully written, first-class escapism' Mail on Sunday

'Revivifies the guilty pleasure of historical romance' Independent