The Palace at the End of the Sea

Theo Sterling is eleven when his grandfather kidnaps him, just for the afternoon. He learns that his father had shed his Jewish identity, married a very Catholic woman from Mexico, and stopped talking to either of his parents. At fourteen, Theo’s father makes him drop out of school to work in his clothing factory. Theo is disgusted at his father’s treatment of the workers and upset when he realizes that one of the men at his mother’s church has been inching into her affections. The 1929 crash leads to his father’s death, after which Theo and his mother barely survive until she marries her wealthy suitor. Now in England,  Theo is enrolled in an upper-crust English boarding school. A friend inspires him to fight against Fascism and Theo nearly gets kicked out of school. After graduation, he spends the summer in Spain, where he’s again inspired, this time by a beautiful girl, to fight against the system. But it’s the 1930s and Fascism is simmering in Spain and Germany. Theo will have to make a serious decision about his future.

Simon Tolkien is the author of No Man’s Land, Orders from Berlin, The King of Diamonds, The Inheritance, and Final Witness. He studied modern history at Trinity College, Oxford, and went on to become a London barrister specializing in criminal defense. Simon is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien and is a director of the Tolkien Estate. In 2022 he was named as series consultant to the Amazon TV series The Rings of Power. He has lived with his wife, vintage fashion author Tracy Tolkien, and their two children, Nicholas and Anna, in Santa Barbara for the past sixteen years. He loves the city with its wonderful Spanish architecture and unique position between the mountains and the sea. He is passionate about his garden which has taken almost as long to build, an enthusiasm he shares with his beloved pug, Sadie. He plays tennis twice a week and golf when he can and loves good TV drama - Silowas his favorite show last year. He is a devoted follower of Aston Villa Football Club, and tries to remain curious about the world, even when the news is upsetting. For more information, visit www.simontolkien.com