Why a Booktrail?
2000s: Creating a new life for yourself in a forest is not going to be easy.
Forest Dancer
What you need to know before your trail
Classical ballerina, Flora Gatehouse, has no choice but to take a risk. Having failed an important ballet audition in London, she moves to a small cottage in a forest just outside Lisbon, Portugal, her only inheritance following her father’s death.
Soon, Flora is involved in village life, where fate takes a new twist when she becomes attracted to forest ranger, Marco. But they are off to a shaky start.
Can Flora find acceptance in a foreign land, in a magical place that harbours secrets and heartache?
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
BookTrail Travel to “Aurora”, Portugal
The name of the fictional village close to Lisbon where the novel takes place. In the novel there is talk of the woods and the luscious scenery close to the city. This can best be explored in real life by heading to the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park in neighbouring Sintra.
Ballerina Flora Gatehouse moves to this small town in Portugal to heal body and mind. Once there she finds a forest filled with mystery and a whole townful of caring and somewhat quirky people.
Apparently, there’s a saying in ballet: ‘Work to impress. Dance to express.’ Flora does work hard to integrate herself into life in the village. She meets some characters along the way!
Dina and her young daughter Raquel who are living in ‘her house’ when she arrives. English Elizabeth who owns the guest house she moves into becomes a friend. Then there’s Sally, an old widow with a pet bird named Boris, who bites people’s noses.
But wait until you meet Marco, a Forestry Commission warden. He’s not keen on men in Armani suits,as to him thery’re some kind of official trying to spoil things or introduce fracking in the area. An Armani suit he thinks is ‘First sign of a villain”
Where Next?
