Book description
Set at the height of the "tulipomania" that gripped Holland
in 17th century, this is the story of Cornelius van Baerle, a humble
grower whose sole desire is to grow the perfect specimen of the tulip
negra.
When his godfather is murdered, Cornelius finds himself caught up in
the deadly politics of the time, imprisoned and facing a death
sentence. His jailor's daughter Rosa, holds both the key to his
survival and his chance to produce the ultimate tulip.
Alexandre Dumas (1824-95) was a pioneer of the Romantic theatre in
France, for which he wrote a series of colourful historical dramas,
although it is as a novelist that he is best known today. His works
include The Three Musketeers (1844-5), La Reine Margot (1845) and The
Count of Monte Cristo (1844-5).
Robin Buss is a journalist and translator. For Penguin, his
translations include works by Sartre, Zola and, most recently, The
Plague by Camus.
