A reader living in the early 20th century would have no need to ask, "Who is Elinor Glyn?" She was the best-read romantic novelist of her day, and the author of a passionate book that led to a poem about her sinning on a tiger skin. Born in Jersey, Channel Islands, Britain in 1864, Elinor (Nellie) was a dreamy romantic who survived an unpromising childhood to rise to fame and fortune. Many men fell in love with her, a redhead without a dowry, but she refused to marry for wealth or station until she met Clayton Glyn. The romance she wrote about sadly escaped her in real life, for she was betrayed by the one man she adored. Elinor had a taste for riches and was often near bankruptcy, but she overcame setbacks and always persevered, just like the heroines in her novels. Hers is a story of heroism and heartbreak that this novel brings to life. In later life, Elinor became one of Hollywood's most-respected scriptwriter/directors of silent movies. Only Madam Glyn could claim that she taught Rudolf Valentino to kiss, Gloria Swanson to be a lady, and Clara Bow to be the It Girl. Born in Canada, Marleen Hacquoil now resides on the island of Jersey, where Elinor Glyn lived a century before. Formerly a broadcast journalist, this is her first published novel. "Writing this book was a virtual experience of the class-bound society of England in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the dress, customs, and attitudes." Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/MarleenHacquoil