Winter in Mallorca: The Love Story of Frederic Chopin and George Sand

A celebrated composer. An unconventional writer. A winter that tests them both.Set in the midst of the Romantic era, this story relates the unlikely romance between Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and French writer Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin. They seem entirely mismatched. She, an outspoken non-conformist, writes under a male pseudonym – George Sand – and dresses for freedom rather than convention. He is private, devout, and conservative.Yet their artistic connection draws them together, and their plans converge on a winter escape to Mallorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain. Planning to work and live outside expectation, they settle into an abandoned monastery in the mountaintop village of Valldemossa, drawn by its isolation and stark beauty.But far from the warm, creative interlude they crave, their draughty mountaintop idyll gives rise to unexpected conflicts and tensions between the couple. The winter is the coldest in recorded history. Chopin is a moody and sickly genius. The locals are hostile towards the unconventional family.Rich in historical detail and human insight, this story offers a portrait of two artists and explores how ideals of love and creativity are tested and reshaped by the demands of real life. Read more