"Borchert’s passionate tale is the first installment of the Château de Verzat series. …multifaceted…sustained intrigue…effervescent… A compelling wine tale…” Kirkus Reviews

"Truly masterful.” JoAnne Tompkins, author of What Comes After

A Woman Fights for Her Legacy as the French Revolution Erupts

Headstrong Countess Joliette de Verzat prefers secretly managing her family’s Loire Valley château and vineyards to the cut-throat politics of Versailles. For nearly three centuries, generations of families have toiled to produce Château de Verzat wines, and their homes and livelihoods depend upon Joliette. But ancient laws block her from inheriting property—unless she is widowed.

Revolution erupts. Thousands of women march on Versailles. Caught in the battle, Joliette risks her own life to save her lover’s. She flees to Paris, blazing with hatred for aristocrats, where she discovers her illegitimate half-brother, Henri—the secret rightful heir who distains the nobility to which he unknowingly belongs.

As insurrection mounts, Joliette faces heartbreaking choices. She must risk all that she loves and trust the people she has saved to save her.

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