The Discovery of Chocolate - Couverture souple

Diego de Godoy sets off for South America in 1518 with Cortes and the Conquistadors. During his travels he falls in love with Ignacia, a native woman who introduces him to the secrets of the most delicious drink he has ever tasted: chocolate. Tragically, their passionate affair is cut short by the chaotic conquest of Mexico.

Diego later discovers that his lover had secretly added the elixir of life to his chocolate. Unable to die, he lives on through history -- Paris during the time of the Revolution, Vienna in the 19th century, late Victorian England, and Hershey, Pennsylvania -- accompanied by his trusty greyhound, Pedro. All the while, he searches to recapture the magic of Ignacia's chocolate -- and to learn to love life just as fully.

Playful and intelligent, this is a romantic story about love and loss inspired by a very enchanting substance.

James Runcie is an award-winning filmmaker in England. He has scripted three films for BBC Television, reviewed books for the Daily Telegraph, and has written for the Observer, the Evening Standard, and Country Living. This is his first novel.