Excerpt from La Belle Marie, Vol. 2 of 2: A Romance I am certain he thought you were in great danger, and I believe he knows these hill-folk better than you do. He is old and feeble, but shrewd enough sometimes; and Doctor Lawrence considered his warning well worth attention. However, now you have bought all these new things, we must make the best of it, and stay awhile where we are. What did your uncle say to your making so many purchases? Did you show him my letter, and tell him that, after all we might soon be driven out of the place? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from La Belle Marie, Vol. 1 of 2: A Romance Most of the houses in the upper village were very old, and many of them tottering to their fall; but, close to the water, a new and more neatly-finished building had lately been erected. Near this spot a crowd of men and boys were collected, on a stormy evening of the month of April, looking at the workmen engaged in setting up the sign denoting that the place was intended for the entertain ment of the public. The new inn was not popular at present, but its merits had not yet been tested. Its situation was certainly more convenient than that of the dilapidated, in commodious structure on the top of the hill, which had hitherto satisfied the townspeople and fishermen of Lezant, and would still have gained their suffrages, if the matter had been put to the vote. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

La Belle Créole re-creates the dramatic story of Cuba's earliest female author, the adventurous 19th-century countess nicknamed La Belle Créole: María de las Mercedes Santa Cruz y Montalvo, or Mercedes, and later the Comtesse Merlin. Alina García-Lapuerta draws from Mercedes' memoirs and letters and contemporary accounts to bring to life this Havana-born aristocrat who was years ahead of her time as a writer, socialite, salon host, and participant in the Cuban slavery debate. Eventually celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic, at age 13 headstrong young Mercedes was shipped off to live with her glamorous mother in Spain. Though political chaos blanketed Europe, Mercedes triumphed, charming aristocrats from all sides with her beauty and singing voice. She married General Merlin in Napoleon's army, watched her mother have an intimate affair with Joseph Bonaparte, and discussed painting with Goya. Arriving in Paris after the French defeat, Mercedes, one of the greatest amateur sopranos of her day, hosted the city's premier musical salon where Liszt, Rossini, and great divas performed for Rothschilds, Balzac, and royalty. Increasingly, she turned to her memoirs and travel writings, which have recently been rediscovered and, scholars agree, deserve a place in the canon of Latin American literature. Alina García-Lapuerta was born in Cuba and travels frequently to Miami and Cuba, retaining strong ties with her Cuban-based family and the Cuban American community. She holds a bachelor's degree in international economics from Georgetown University and a master's degree in international relations from Tufts University. She lives in London.