A magnificent and audacious attraction that hosts some of the finest winemaking in the Napa Valley, Castello di Amorosa is one of California's most successful wineries How the winery came to be is an inspiring entrepreneurial tale of one man's daring vision and his determination to see it realized no matter what. That man is Dario Sattui, founder of the V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. For as long as he can remember, Dario has cultivated a passion for medieval European architecture. Inspired by stories of the old country from his Italian great-grandfather and other relatives, he made it a hobby to study old castles, lodges, and monasteries almost religiously during the dozens of visits he made to Europe -- particularly Tuscany and Umbria -- throughout the years. In 1993, when he semi-retired from V. Sattui, he began to explore this fascination in a new way, vowing to bring a slice of Italy to Napa by building a modest, authentic medieval monastery on his dream property in Calistoga, where he intended to live and grow grapes for V. Sattui. Over the next 15 years, this plan took on a life of its own and evolved into a massive new winery project with a 136,000-square-foot authentic medieval castle known as Castello di Amorosa at its center. Full of hundreds of lush photos of the magnificent castle and grounds, Castello di Amorosa: A Labor of Love tells the improbable story of the castle's construction and includes an exclusive tour of the castle that only its creator could deliver. Bound to delight readers interested in Napa history, winemaking, and medieval architecture, Castello di Amorosa will undoubtedly thrill the castle's legion of fans around the world.
One of the 20th century's most beloved novels is still winning hearts, Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle! “This book has one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met.” -- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series Adapted to a feature film in 2003, I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"-- and the heart of the reader-- in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate.
Riding in the woods the beautiful young Farica Chalfont encounters a handsome yet forlorn gentleman called John Hamilton, whom she is sure is about to commit suicide as he is holding a pistol in his hand.After intervening and talking to him she is instantly and irresistibly attracted to him, but, as she explains, she is already unwillingly promised in marriage to Fergus, the new Earl of Lydbrooke.Not only does she not love him, she feels sure that the Earl is marrying her only for her father’s large fortune and it is common knowledge that Fergus is wildly extravagant and therefore deeply in debt.Soon it is revealed that ‘John Hamilton’ is actually Ivan, the true Earl of Lydbrooke, who everyone thought had been killed at the Battle of Waterloo and replaced as the Earl by Fergus, who is only a distant nephew. On hearing that Ivan is alive, Fergus has tried not once but twice to murder him in the hope of holding onto the title, The Castle and the huge estates of the Brooke family.Now Farica and Ivan find that they are desperately caught up in ‘a crusade of right against wrong and of good against evil that has to be won’.But the real question is can love be the victor?
All her young life has been lived in the shadow of her father’s disgrace after he was caught cheating at cards at his Club in London and Alita Lang lives a dismal life under sufferance with her begrudging aunt and uncle, the Duke and Duchess of Langstone. In fact the only love in Alita’s lonely life is her passion for her uncle’s thoroughbred horses, especially her beloved stallion, Flamingo, who she has taught many tricks to. She spends most of her time in the Duke’s stables and can train the most unruly horse And now the Duke, desperate to raise money, is determined to sell them all to the brash American multi-millionaire who has just bought the neighbouring estate and its magnificent Marshfield House. Introduced to the handsome, blue-eyed and tanned Clint Wilbur as Alita Blair, an employee of the estate, she soon finds herself working for him on improvements to his stables and soon, through his consistent kindness and gentle thoughtfulness, she discovers an alluring new side to her new employer and ally. Suddenly Alita’s heart is racing as she realises that she is in love. But surely the race for love is already lost because the Duke is already scheming for his daughter, Hermione, to marry the eligible millionaire and join their two estates together.
Fleeing her scheming stepmother and a forced marriage, beautiful young heiress Thelma Fernhurst stumbles across a magnificent house like the Fairy Palace of her dreams. More amazing still, in its grounds she finds a circus, complete with lions and tigers and a Big Top – and loses her heart to its dashing owner, the Earl of Merstone! But the runaway’s dream turns to a nightmare when Thelma discovers that the Earl has an evil, scheming relative of his own – and unless a trembling Thelma can save him from a ravenous tiger, the Circus of Love will turn to a Circus of Death!
Although immensely saddened by the loss of their beloved wife and mother, beautiful young Jaela Compton and her illustrious father, Lord Compton of Mellor, one of England’s most outstanding Lord Chancellors, live happily together in his lovely Villa between Naples and Sorrento in Italy now that he has retired from his public duties. Until one day she finds him dead in his bedroom and, although she consoles herself that he is at last reunited with her mother, Jaela is distraught. Whatever is she to do? Out of the blue a family friend, Dr. Pirelli, comes up with a suggestion which is more of a mission. It seems that the Contessa di Agnolo is dying and concerned about the fate of her young daughter, Kathy, who is actually the daughter of an old friend of her father’s, the Earl of Halesworth. And soon Jaela finds herself travelling home to England to introduce Kathy to her father. On arriving at Hale Castle the strikingly handsome Earl seems reluctant to accept his daughter, but grudgingly allows her and Jaela, who is at present pretending to be the child’s Governess, to stay on with him at his Castle. It is not long before the Earl’s heart softens and it becomes clear that he adores the little girl and Jaela begins to hope that there is room in his heart for her as well.
Left penniless by the death of her beloved parents, shy, naïve and unassumingly lovely Gilda Wyngate is bemused when her glamorous but spoilt sister, Heloise, arrives unexpectedly at the family’s country Manor House full of talk about London’s Social world. And the good-looking and rich Marquis of Staverton, whom she is determined to ensnare in marriage so that she can fulfil her ambitions and become a Marchioness.Sadly it is not to be. When poor Gilda finds her sister dead in the morning after taking too much laudanum to make her sleep, she sees a way out of the dreadful poverty she faces. She takes Helouise’s place, her glamorous London life and her home in Mayfair with her blind but generous Godmother, Lady Neyland.After all the two sisters had always looked remarkably alike. So who would ever notice?Little does she know that her kind heart will soon give her away. Little does she know that, in assuming her sister’s identity, she is also taking on a terrible crime, punishable by death or that the hateful Marquis, whom she has heard so much about, could be so overwhelmingly handsome and magnificent that he takes her breath away.Little does she realise that out of all her troubles true love will suddenly find her out of the blue and she will finally be enveloped in the happiness that has always eluded her.