Stella Maris

In a windswept cliff overlooking the Channel, a young girl named Stella lives in a bright, sun‑filled room that has become her entire world. Confined to a rigid, supine position by a mysterious spinal ailment, she watches the sea, the gulls, and the passing ships through large western windows, turning the view into a kingdom of imagination. Though only twelve, Stella commands the affection and devotion of the adults around her, who indulge her whimsical titles and the delicate authority she exerts from her bedside throne.

The novel follows Stella’s daily rituals, her conversations with the two men who serve as her loyal companions, and the enchanting way she weaves stories of mermaids, nymphs, and far‑off voyages into the quiet of her room. Through her vivid inner life, the reader glimpses the bittersweet blend of fragile health and fierce spirit that defines her existence. As the tide rises and storms roll in, Stella’s world teeters between the comforting constancy of the sea’s horizon and the hidden currents of the lives that orbit her.