Ophelia Rising: 'We know what we are, but know not what we may be.'

Ophelia gets a life - and what a life! Half drowned, she escapes Elsinore with help from a merry troupe of players. Thus begins her fantastic and harrowing journey though Renaissance Europe, richly told in this prodigiously researched, historical and romantic literary novel. It's pages are filled with fascinating characters from history and the imagination, and vividly illustrated with thirty three authentic images from the period. The new Ophelia learns to play many roles - female and male, on stage and off. She must keep her wits about her and find allies to survive religious strife, persecutions, intrigues, hardships, while eluding scheming pursuers. As she seeks what remains of her family, Ophelia finds unlikely friends, lovers, angels and mentors to guide her through uncertainties and dangers. She crosses paths with kings, queens, princes and pretenders, ambitious prelates, soldiers, rebels, merchants, artisans, astronomers, alchemists, philosophers, schemers and creative geniuses - the best and worst of an era in tumultuous change. No more the fair maiden, she must survive and find what dreams may come.