A French Huguenot apothecary’s legacy of secrets, a mystic healer’s inspiration, a fateful decision.

"Brilliantly told, a story that will stick with you long after you've turned the last page . . . fresh and compelling, as relevant now as it was then." ~ Janet Wertman, award-winning author of The Seymour Saga trilogy.

"Jules Larimore's lush, vibrant prose and sharp eye for historical detail at once transported me back to Occitan haunts and castles. This is a must-read for anyone who loves novels set in that alluring region of southern France." ~ Glen Craney, award-winning author of The Fire and the Light, The Spider and the Stone, The Cotillion Brigade and more.

IN THE MYSTERIOUS CÉVENNES MOUNTAINS OF LANGUEDOC, FRANCE, 1695, Jehan BonDurant, a young nobleman forcibly held in a Dominican prieuré as a child, comes of age only to inherit a near-derelict estate and his Huguenot family’s dangerous legacy of secrets. While he cherishes his newfound freedom apprenticing as an apothecary, his outrage mounts over religious persecutions led by King Louis XIV’s Intendant Basville, who is sent to enforce the King’s will for “One King, One Law, One Faith”.

The ensuing divisions among families and friends and the gradual revelation of his own circumstances lead Jehan to question his spiritual choices. A journey, deep into the heart of the Cévennes in search of guidance, unfolds in a way he least expects when he enters the enchanting Gorges du Tarn. There he discovers his muse, Amelia Auvrey, a free-spirited, mystic holy woman who reveals ancient healing mysteries and inspires his quest for freedom.

Together they quest for peace and spiritual freedom by aiding the persecuted until the Intendant’s spy reports their activities and the King’s dragoons are sent out after them. To retain their freedom, they must choose to live in hiding in a remote wilderness, join a festering uprising against the persecutions, or flee their cherished homeland with thousands of other refugees in search of hope.

Inspired by the true story of Jean Pierre Bondurant dit Cougoussac, distilled and blended with Cévenole magic lore, this is a vividly told coming-of-age adventure and family saga of courage, tenacity, and the power of love.

Fans of Poldark, Magic Lessons, The Lost Apothecary, The Huguenot Chronicles, and The Alchemist will find thematic elements from those stories melded into this thrilling and obscure slice of French history.

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