Il Tulipano Nero
1850
In 1630s Holland, at the height of tulip mania when a single bulb could cost a fortune, one man pursues the impossible: a truly black tulip. Cornelius van Baerle has dedicated his fortune and his life to this botanical grail, only to be betrayed by his jealous neighbor Boxtel, who frames him for conspiracy against the state. Thrown into prison to await execution, Cornelius finds something unexpected: Rosa, the jailer's daughter, whose compassion ignites a desperate love. Together, they nurture a single bulb toward its impossible bloom, while outside the walls of Delft, political forces collide and the de Witt brothers face the fury of the Orangist mob. This is Dumas at his most surprising: not a sword fight in sight, yet every bit as thrilling. A meditation on obsession, jealousy, and love written with the master's sure hand.
