THE MAN IN THE STONE COTTAGE, a novel of the Brontë sisters, is set in 1846 Yorkshire, where the three sisters - Charlotte, Anne and Emily - navigate precarious lives marked by heartbreak and struggle. Charlotte faces rejection from the man she loves, while their blind father and troubled brother add to their burdens. No one will publish their poetry or novels. Amidst this turmoil, Emily encounters a charming shepherd on her solitary walks on the moor, yet no one else has ever seen him. Several years later, Charlotte, who is now the successful author of Jane Eyre, sets out to find him. THE MAN IN THE STONE COTTAGE is a poignant exploration of sisterly bonds and the complexities of perception, asking whether what feels real to one person can truly be real to another.

My previous novel, THE BOY IN THE RAIN, set in Edwardian England 1903, is a love story between two men, a shy young artist and a rising socialist speaker, as they struggle to build a life together against personal obstacles and the dangers of prosecution under the gross indecency laws. CLAUDE & CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF CLAUDE MONET is the story of Monet in his 20s and 30s as he struggles to sell his work and manage his love for the beautiful, elusive Camille who would die young and forever remain his muse.

My other novels MARRYING MOZART, THE PLAYERS, THE PHYSICIAN OF LONDON AND NICHOLAS COOKE all continue to find readers. They were translated into several languages and MARRYING MOZART was turned into an opera.

I was born in New York City and have lived in the same apartment for 50 years. My heart is half in England/Europe where I have family and consider myself an emotional citizen there.

Please do visit my website StephanieCowell.com