The Enchanted April

A discrete advertisement inThe Times, addressed to "those who appreciate wisteria and sunshine," is the prelude to a revelatory month for four very different women. High above a bay on the Italian Riviera stands the medieval castle San Salvatore. Beckoned to this haven are Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mrs. Fisher, and Lady Caroline Dester, each quietly craving a respite. Lulled by the gentle spirit of the Mediterranean, they gradually shed their public skins, discovering a harmony each of them has longed for but none has ever known. First published in 1922, this captivating novel is imbued with the descriptive power and lighthearted irreverence for which Elizabeth von Arnim is renowned.

Elizabeth von Arnim was born in Australia in 1866. In 1894 she and her first husband moved to Nassenheide which was wittily encapsulated in her most famous novel, Elizabeth and her German Garden. She was described by Alice Meynell as 'one of the three finest wits of her day'.