
Nestled on a craggy hill above the Sabine mountains, the stone‑cobbled village of Castel Vivalanti clings to the sky like a miniature painting. Its narrow, stair‑like streets wind past the ruins of an ancient fortress, a phoenix crest and twin moons watching over a gate that once defended the town from marauding forces. Olive groves, cypress trees and the scent of wild herbs give the place a timeless, almost forgotten charm, while the lingering stories of feuding princes and cardinal‑wearing nobles whisper from every cracked wall.
When a curious traveler arrives, the village’s quiet routine is disrupted by the vivid legends that locals readily share—tales of a “bad prince” whose cruelty still haunts the ruins, and of a young girl who tends the wheat fields with a spirit as stubborn as the hills themselves. As she navigates the tangled paths and the expectations of her community, she discovers that the line between myth and reality is thinner than the stone arches that frame her world.
Language
fi
Duration
~9 hours (571K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2017-12-24
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1876–1916
Best known for the classic novel Daddy-Long-Legs, she wrote warm, witty stories that mixed humor with sharp sympathy for young women finding their way. Her books have stayed in print for generations and inspired stage and screen adaptations.
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