The Life of Elves

'A beguiling fairy tale' New York Times

'A truly enchanting story, beautifully told and rich in meaning' Irish Times

The villagers had never seen anything like it: dense white curtains of snow transforming the landscape in an instant. Not in autumn, not in Burgundy. And on that same night, a baby was found - dark-eyed little Maria, who would go on to transform all their lives.

Hundreds of miles away, in the mountains of Abruzzo, another foundling, Clara, astonishes everyone with her extraordinary talent for piano-playing. But her gifts reach far beyond mere musicianship.

As a time of great danger looms, the girls, though unaware of each other's existence, are bound by a hidden connection. And it is this bond, shared with others like them, that may offer the only chance for good to prevail in the world.



Muriel Barbery is the author of four previous novels, including the IMPAC-shortlisted multimillion-copy bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog. She has lived in Kyoto, Amsterdam and Paris and now lives in the French countryside.