THE NIGHTINGALE'S CASTLE

''I was blown away by this dark, enchanting story of witchcraft, power and injustice'' Mary Chamberlain



In 1573, Countess Erzsebet Bathory gave birth to an illegitimate child. The infant, a girl, was swiftly bundled up and handed toa local peasant family to be brought up in one of the hamlets surrounding the Castle. Many years later, 15-year-old Boroka reluctantly leaves the safety of the only home she has ever known in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Trusted members of the countess''s household have been sent out to gather new serving girls, and the kindly old man who has taken care of Boroka for almost all her life knows that it is dangerous to turn them away.



Boroka struggles to find her place at Cachtice Castle: she is frightened of the countess''s reputation as an alleged murderer of young girls, and the women who run the castle are terrifyingly cruel. When plague comes into the heart of the castle, a tentative bond begins to form between Boroka and the Countess Bathory. But powerful forces are moving against a woman whose wealth poses such a threat to the king: can the countess really trust the women who are so close to her?



''Beautifully written, skilfully plotted, and a fascinating exploration of women''s struggle to have their truth heard'' Louise O''Neil



''A mesmerising combination of gothic horror and elegant restraint'' Francesca Haig