Grave Fairytale

Jakob Emmert lives in the sleepy German village of Rodenstein with his shoemaker father and withdrawn mother. As an antidote to this dull existence, Jakob wanders the woods, dreaming up stories and singing songs. One day, he is discovered by Cappellmeister Ziegler, who invites him to become a choir boy in the Royal Capelle. Whisked away from his quiet existence into the splendour of the Court of Fürstenheim, Jakob embarks upon a life he previously only dreamt of. Within the confines of the Court Jakob encounters Melchior, an extremely talented young musician. The two young men begin a lifetime of companionship, each navigating the world in their own way, making sense of their experience through art. Melchior becomes an exceptionally gifted composer, renowned throughout the land for the passions he stirs in the hearts of his audience, whilst Jakob’s stories attain renown not only in Germany, but in many countries around the world. In each of their pursuits, they succeed in creating something that transcends both their lifetimes. Set in the Germany of centuries past, this is a romantic novel that blends parts of history and parts of fiction, weaving together a story of great musicians, writers and fairy tales. Esther Meynell was born Esther Moorhouse in Yorkshire and came from a Quaker family. She moved to Sussex when she was ten years old. She was educated at home because of poor health. In 1911 she married Gerard Meynell the head of the Westminster Press at Patcham Church. Esther Meynell lived for a time near Pulborough and became a Catholic in 1931. She wrote a number of books on different subjects. Her love of music is reflected in A Little Chronicle of Magdalene Bach (1925). She wrote four novels - A Grave Fairytale, Quintet, Time's Door and Lucy and Amades. She wrote biographies of Bach, Abraham Lincoln, William Morris, Nelson and Wordsworth, and was writing a life of Keats at the time of her death in 1955. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.