The Plant Hunter's Tale - Tapa dura

'Caroline Cass writes beautifully ... and, with a touch of magic, evokes the adventurous spirits of another time' --William Shawcross

Many of the beautiful exotic plants we now admire were discovered by intrepid plant hunters who travelled the world in search of new species. The royal patronage at Kew ensured those plants that survived the difficult journey and thrived in the home climate would become wildly fashionable and sought after. The more unusual and rare a plant, the more valuable it would be to the plant hunter who found it. Lured to a remote Himalayan kingdom by the persistent rumour of a unique flowering plant with a fragrance beyond compare, Rullie Montrose, a young botanist and plant hunter, sets off for India in 1856. Deep in the mountains, he finds himself pulled into a darkly enchanted land ruled by Zafran Khan, whose beautiful daughter, as silently seductive as the flower itself, plays a dangerous role in Rullie's quest.