City of Secrets: One Woman’s True-life Journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend Patrice Chaplin 348 pages 5 x 7 3/4 $16.95 paper 978-0-8356-0871-8

City of Secrets is, perhaps, the very first nonfiction title to combine the stories of the legendary Grail phenomenon with that of a modern-day love story. This is the true story of an Englishwoman, writer Patrice Chaplin, and how she helped reveal the secrets of the famed Rennes-le-Château and Abbé Saunière mystery.

Patrice first went to the ancient Spanish town of Girona in 1955 as a fifteen-year-old girl. She fell in love with the town and with Jose, its favorite son. Over the years, as she returns again and again, she sees and hears many unusual things: people talking about a wealthy priest named Abbé Saunière of Rennes-le-Château, an old house with an amazing garden owned by a mysterious Frenchwoman, a strange ceremony in this house, and several intriguing characters, including Jean Cocteau.

Later, in 2003, Patrice finally starts to make sense of everything she has seen. Her lifelong friend and former lover, Jose, has a heart attack, and decides it’s time to reveal the secrets he has been guarding from the world. She learns that a private society has for generations held Saunière’s letters and documents after his death in 1917. She also learns Jose has been the society’s custodian for many years. Jose tells Patrice the secret is not in Rennes-le-Château and that it is now her duty to discover the rest.

In support of her revelations, Patrice provides copies of previously unreleased letters, written by Saunière, along with other documented evidence. Her romantic and lucid writing style, which has often been compared to Beat Generation legend Jack Kerouac, will leave readers with no doubt that this book is one-of-a-kind.

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Patrice Chaplin interviewed on Gardiner's World TV. Aired October 14, 2009

Mystical Legends —Girona, A City Of Secrets
. This documentary explores the city of Girona in the footsteps of Patrice Chaplin, author of City Of Secrets

Patrice Chaplin is an internationally renowned playwright and author who has published more than 25 books, plays, and short stories. Her most notable work includes Albany Park, Siesta, which was made into a film staring Jodi Foster and Isabella Rossellini, Into the Darkness Laughing, Hidden Star, Night Fishing, and Death Trap.


Other titles by the author:

• The Portal:
  An Initiate’s Journey into the Secret of Rennes-le-Château

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