Completely original and cleverly constructed The Rainbow Bridge offers up even more than the first in this the second in the Louise trilogy. The portrait of Louise forms the cornerstone of this novel and the portrait touches the lives and loves of many in another century. Full of historical flavour of its time and beautifully written, you’ll be eager to read the final installment when you’ve finished this one.
Adults will enjoy this trilogy, of which this is the third as much as 12 year olds and teenagers. Wings over Delft is the first one whilst In the Claws of the Eagle is the final in the trilogy. Wings over Delft begins in mid 17th century Holland, The Rainbow Bridge takes us onwards through the 18th century and the French Revolution and finally this unforgettable trilogy comes to its conclusion with In the Claws of the Eagle in Austria in the early 20th century and then onwards to the Nazis and their acquisition of a massive art collection. Click here to see all the titles in the trilogy.
And so it happened. Certain people, who had the eyes to see, were indeed so captivated by the girl in the portrait that she became real for them, and shared in their lives. Gaston Morteau, a young French hussar, who rescued her painting from a Dutch Canal, had Louise as his riding companion as he crossed the frozen Rhine and journeyed south through France. Young Pierre, his cadet-too gentle for a soldier’s life- turned to her portrait to tell of his fears, and of his heart’s yearnings. Then there was Colette, the girl who was destined to become Gaston’s wife. There was also the Count du Bois, in whom dark forces stirred, so that not only her portrait, but Louise herself were put in jeopardy.
When the portrait was sold to a Jewish pedlar in exchange for a few trinkets, Louise was ready to move on.
Aubrey Flegg was born in Dublin. His early childhood was spent in County Sligo, Ireland. He went to school in Dublin and later in England. After a spell with a mountain rescue team in Scotland, he returned to Ireland to study geology at Trinity College. He then did geological research in Kenya, before joining the Geological Survey of Ireland in 1968. Aubrey recently took early retirement in order to concentrate on writing.
His first book, Katie's War, is about the civil war period in Ireland; it was published in 1997. Katie's War has recently won the Peter Pan Award 2000 -- an award created by IBBY Sweden for a children's book, translated into Swedish, which gives information on another culture.
Wings Over Delft, the first book in the Louise trilogy, won the Bisto Book of the Year overall award in 2004.
