Fleeing a family scandal in Paris, Rosalie escapes to Malta in 1925 to pursue her dream of being a dancer. She eventually builds a new identity in Valletta, navigating a world filled with both bohemian charm and dark undertones like human trafficking.
The novel employs a dual-timeline narrative that weaves together the stories of two courageous women:
El palacio secreto (originally published as The Hidden Palace ) is the emotionally resonant second installment in Dinah Jefferies' Daughters of War trilogy, published by HarperCollins . Set across the 1920s and 1940s, the novel explores themes of trauma, guilt, and the enduring power of family bonds amidst the backdrop of war-torn Malta and rural England. Dual Narrative Structure
Reeling from the brutality of WWII in France, Florence finds herself in the English countryside. At the request of her estranged mother, she embarks on a perilous quest to find her missing aunt Rosalie, a journey that eventually leads her to post-war Malta. Themes and Historical Context The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies - She Reads Novels