Dreaming In French by Vanessa McCausland

A remote French island. A crumbling villa. A reclusive film star. And an inheritance Saskia never expected. The stunning new novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Beautiful Words.

Saskia Wyle spent one sultry European summer on Île de Re when she was nineteen. The bright salt flats and sun-soaked beaches are now a distant memory, and one she made herself forget after an unspeakable tragedy.

But the French heiress she befriended over twenty years ago has left half of her magnificent home to Saskia and the other half to Felix Allard, the now-reclusive film star living on the island. How did Simone Durant die? Was it the family curse that haunted her? And why has she included Saskia in her will after all this time?

Saskia returns to the place of dry-stone walls and ancient olive trees to find that Simone has left her another unexpected gift - a manuscript written in French. Like the lyrical language embedded somewhere in Saskia's subconscious, she must find a way to understand what Simone is telling her. As Saskia once again falls under the island's spell, she must reckon with her past to save what is most precious to her.

'The book I've always dreamed of finding - magical prose, a glorious setting and a gripping storyline. Drift away to a gorgeous French island in the hands of an expert storyteller. McCausland has crafted a stunning novel - my only wish was that it never had to end!' Natasha Lester

'Dreaming in French will whisk you away to the earthy pine forests and sun-baked salt marshes of Île de Re, and into an intoxicating story of friendship, love and unspeakable betrayal. This is a stunning, emotive tale and a captivating escape of a book.' Hannah Richell

Praise for Vanessa McCausland:

'A natural storyteller' Herald Sun

'Reading a Vanessa McCausland book is like indulging in fine dark chocolate - her writing is decadent, dark, complex and luxurious' Cassie Hamer

'Vanessa McCausland is a remarkable storyteller' Petronella McGovern

'Entrancing with unexpected surprises' Australian Women's Weekly