A Splendid Gift

A richly imagined story of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French pilot and author of The Little Prince, from the author of The Lost Wife and The Garden of Letters.

March, 1942: Declared medically unfit to fly while France is besieged by war, Saint-Exupéry languishes in homesick frustration, unable to aid his country—and unable to write.

While his publisher tries in vain to ease the author's mind, Saint-Exupéry meets the enchanting Silvia Hamilton at a cocktail party. Though they do not share a language, they are nonetheless drawn to each other, and where words fail them they find other forms of communication.

In the proceeding months, Silvia's warmth and grace give Saint-Exupéry the peace of mind he so desperately needs. And as their love affair flourishes, he finds himself inspired to tell a tale of such simplicity and beauty that a person of any age could find joy and comfort in it. With Silvia as his muse, he works furiously to compose his petite prince.