The River Muse

A French chateau. A forest with secrets. A magical spring. Welcome to La Chanson, where lost souls are found again...

At the brink of summer, Callie arrives in a secluded village in the South of France with her young daughter, after barely escaping her menacing ex-partner. Desperate to hide, she rents a cottage on the grounds of the Chateau of the Lost. Her new home sings with flowing water, rustling olive trees, and whispering poppies--an otherworldly nook of hidden magic. Little by little, she warms to her quirky neighbors--a witchy landlady, an acclaimed truffle hunter, his kind veterinarian son, and their lovable dogs. Oh, and a mischievous ghost boy.

Slowly but surely, her new friends help her discover herself again. Years earlier, she gave up music at the insistence of her ex, but as she reclaims her voice, everyone finds that her songs open hearts and heal old wounds. When her ex tracks her down, the stakes grow deadly, and she must tap into her most powerful self to protect her newfound family.

Whimsical and atmospheric, The River Muse will enchant readers with its myth and music--showing how we can find friendship, love, and our truest selves in the most unexpected places.

Laura Resau is the author of The River Muse, The Alchemy of Flowers, and eleven acclaimed books for young people. Her novels won five Colorado Book Awards and appear on best-of booklists from Oprah, the American Library Association, and more. Trilingual and with a cultural anthropology background, she's lived in Provence and Oaxaca, and now teaches creative writing at Western Colorado University. You might find her writing in her cozy vintage trailer in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she lives with her rock-hound husband, musician son, wild husky, a garden of healing flowers, and a hundred house plants. Connect with her online at lauraresau.com; Instagram: @lauraresau