Joan Aiken's invention seemed inexhaustible, her high spirits a blessing, her sheer storytelling zest a phenomenon. She was a literary treasure, and her books will continue to delight for many years to come.' Philip PullmanLonging to flout convention and spread her wings in Society, Ellen Paget accepts a position as a governess in Paris. Old family friend Benedict Masham has long carried a torch for Ellen and is naturally stunned when she makes her departure. But when family tragedy and a subsequent scandal force Ellen to return to London, Benedict's passion is reignited and he vows to express his love through unwavering help and support.Ellen will need to use all of her ingenuity and daring to solve the mysteries of the past and present and keep her family safe. But will she also find romance in a place she least expected?Praise for The Girl From Paris:'The tale has echoes of both Charlotte and Emily Bronte, but the fast moving narrative and thoroughly modern...

Felix Brooke, the orphaned son of an English soldier and an aristocratic Spanish mother, has been raised in the strict, loveless household of his grandfather in Villaverde, Spain. When Felix gains possession of a letter that contains a clue to the whereabouts of his father's family, he gladly runs away form home to pursue the trail. His journey from Spain to far-off England begins the adventure of a lifetime.

From Publishers WeeklyIn this suspenseful sequel to Go Saddle the Sea and Bridle the Wind , both set in early 19th century Spain, a mature Felix returns, prepared for adventure. Three children have been kidnapped by their father, an escaped political prisoner who is hiding in the mountains. Will Felix be able to free them? Even knowing these are "wild and heartless times" because of King Ferdinand's terrible reign, he agrees to try. The trip will give him a chance to see his love, Juana. From the start, it seems that the little party is being followed. The horses are poisoned, and there are further ominous signs of a plot. Whom can they trust? Have they been sent into a trap? Intrigue is Aiken's stock-in-trade, and there is plenty to be found in this novel. While readers may sense a lack of underlying theme and wish for a greater development of Felix's affection for Juana, they could hardly ask for a more diverting, action-filled plot. As usual, Aiken writes with endless inventiveness and ease. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalGrade 7 Up A stirring continuation of the adventures of the resourceful orphaned heir who, at 12, ran away from his Spanish grandfather's estate to seek his English father's people in Go Saddle the Sea (Doubleday, 1977; o.p.); and a year later made a shipwrecked return, in Bridle the Wind (Delacorte, 1983). It is a more mature Felix, now 18, who develops an understanding of his responsibilities as he meets physical dangers and political intrigues when his studies are interrupted and his help asked in regaining custody of children kidnapped by their mad fatheran escaped political prisoner. His elderly aunts fear that it is all a political trap to confiscate the estates, as grandfather is a known liberal, whose friends and views are out of favor with the restored monarch turned reactionary. But one member of the rescue party is Juana, the Basque girl whom Felix lovesrespectfully, since she has entered a conventand hopefully, since she has not taken final vows. Full of action, interesting characters, and made-real places, this forms a well-meshed conclusion to earlier episodes and an intriguing glimpse into Spain in the 1820s. (Author's historic notes and reading list are appended.) These books get better with each reading; share them with the adults. Ruth M. McConnell, San Antonio Public LibraryCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

After visiting his family in England, Felix is on his way back to Spain when he's shipwrecked off the coast of France. He is taken in by monks to recover from his ordeal--but it soon becomes clear to him that he is actually being held prisoner. Felix encounters an injured boy, Juan, on the grounds of the monastery and saves him from death. The two boys escape and continue on to Spain together--but a gang is pursuing Juan, and the journey is more dangerous than they imagined.