A volume of seventeenth-century embroidery patterns that also contains faint diary entries brings together the lives of two women of vastly different eras--Cat Tregenna, an embroideress kidnapped by Muslim pirates in 1625 and taken to Morocco as a slave, and Julia Lovat, a modern-day woman out to determine the authenticity of Cat's story. 75,000 first printing.
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An enthralling story of secrets and discovering love where you least expect it, in The Tenth Gift the art of embroidery uncannily links two fascinating women of different eras and their equally passionate love storiesIn an expensive London restaurant, Julia Lovat receives a gift that changes her life. At first glance it is a book of exquisite seventeenth-century embroidery patterns belonging to a woman named Catherine Ann Tregenna. Yet in its margins are the faintest diary entries; they reveal that “Cat” and others were stolen from their Cornish church in 1625 by Muslim pirates and taken on a brutal voyage to Morocco to be auctioned off as slaves. Captivated by this dramatic discovery, Julia sets off to North Africa to determine the authenticity of the book and to uncover more of Cat’s mesmerizing story. There, in the company of a charismatic Moroccan guide, amid the sultry heat, the spice markets, and exotic ruins, Julia will discover secrets long buried. And in Morocco—just as Cat did before her—she will lose her heart.Though they live almost 400 years apart, the stories of these two women converge in an extraordinary and haunting manner that begs the question, is history fated to repeat itself? “The Tenth Gift is wildly yet convincingly romantic—a rare combo . . . both a sensitive portrayal of Muslim culture and a delectable adventure of the heart.”—USA Today
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