{"title":"Books by Patrice Chaplin","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781905570836","title":"The Stone Cradle","description":"In this gripping true-life memoir, Patrice Chaplin returns to the ancient city of secrets, Girona - its magnetism and enchantment never to be forgotten. It was in Girona that she first encountered the hidden Society, preserved since antiquity, that influenced such illustrious figures as Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, Otto Rahn and Howard Hughes - and even the cryptical priest of Rennes-le-Chateau, Berenger Sauniere. What mystery is protected by this esoteric society? In the spirit of her books The City of Secrets and The Portal, Patrice continues her search to solve the enigmas of Girona. When the Society appears to offer her its secret - on the basis that she becomes its custodian and remains in Catalonia - she is faced with a decision that will change her life forever. Sensing danger, she must anticipate the intentions of those around her. Knowledge is not only power, but also the best way to survive. Drawn into a series of adventures, she is taken to holy sites, isolated castles and ancient graves said to be linked to religious figures from the distant past. Finally, Patrice is led to a secret chapel in an isolated place: the domain of the Stone Cradle.   Once touched, she is told, one would always return, even in dreams. This is a place of multidimensional reality, but also of peril - a portal to the unknown. What is its purpose? In The Stone Cradle, the culmination of her work, Patrice Chaplin discovers the secret of Girona and glimpses the truth beyond everyday reality.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308827455861,"sku":"9781905570836","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781905570836_553994f8-6fb4-4917-ac02-e313de5a1f2a.jpg?v=1786029185"},{"product_id":"9781912992188","title":"City of Secrets","description":"It is 1955 and a fifteen-year-old girl, seeking adventure, escapes the greyness of post-war London for the cobbles, sunshine and romance of an ancient Catalan city. When she falls in love with the place she also falls for its charismatic leader.   As the years pass and the girl becomes a woman, she returns again and again to Girona and to her lover, the enigmatic José Tarres. She meets captivating characters and hears about visions, a strangely wealthy priest, a fabulous garden owned by a Frenchwoman… Cast as the detective in her own story, she finds herself caught up in a world she barely knew existed.   The rich priest was none other than the Abbé Saunière of Rennes-le-Château, and the mysteries surrounding him are at the very heart of the modern Grail legend – the stuff of bestselling novels and movies, historical analysis and esoteric intrigue. The people she has known for so many years, including José, belong to a secret society that guards Saunière’s legacy. Now they ask her to be their messenger. It is time, they say, to present some of their closely guarded secrets to the world. The astonishing result is City of Secrets.   Patrice Chaplin’s modern classic is a page-turning, true-life adventure, rich with photographs, remarkable letters and antique documents. This new edition features an Afterword in which Patrice reviews the impact of the book’s publication on her life, on Girona and its mysteries.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56309131673973,"sku":"9781912992188","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781912992188_a65a5903-326d-47fa-82b8-baca2776d842.jpg?v=1786030477"},{"product_id":"the-portal","title":"The Portal","description":null,"brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57481594601845,"sku":"9780835608886","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780835608886.jpg?v=1786089872"},{"product_id":"the-unknown-pursuit","title":"The Unknown Pursuit","description":"Three women arrive in Girona, North East Spain, to attend a New Age workshop based on the mysteries of that ancient city. They have never met before. What do they have in common? They discover that they are all grandmothers who know little about psychic or spiritual worlds. What do they want? To keep a good face on things; `things' being quite a lot of difficult issues... What do they really want? Life change? Reclaiming their dreams? What do they get? The Holy Grail. And all they were looking for was a way out of sudden old age...   Following her classic Girona trilogy - The City of Secrets, The Portal and The Stone Cradle - Patrice Chaplin returns to the enchanted city for a new adventure. Many decades have passed since, as a teenage traveller seeking a Bohemian lifestyle, she stepped across the threshold of the iron bridge and into the hallowed old city. Now in her later years, she finds herself unexpectedly with two other women of a certain age. In the midst of changing lives, they are each seeking freedom, meaning and truth. What they encounter initially is confusion, chaos and misunderstanding. But will they discover the thing that can reconcile themselves to each other, to their lives and to themselves?‘So fresh, sharp and full of terrific lines – I loved it… Patrice has put the Grail, Girona and her own wonderful gift for characterisation to such perfect use.’ – Miranda Seymour, author (In Byron’s Wake, Mary Shelley, etc.);  ‘It’s just a the most wonderful  piece of work. Congratulations Patrice. Highly recommended Get a copy!’ – Malcolm Bruce, musician (son of Cream legend Jack Bruce)","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57510171935093,"sku":"9781912992065","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781912992065.jpg?v=1787130503"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-patrice-chaplin.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}