A Diamond in the Dust

A Diamond in the Dust is a fictionalised account of the life of Charles I from his birth to the age of twenty-eight.It shows England’s most maligned monarch, Charles I, as he really was. Dominated by his debauched father, James I, he grew up a diffident, stuttering, dreamy figure, wracked by a crippling disease – rickets.But he was lifted and defined by his passion for all the arts, especially theatre and painting.Brutal real-life caught up with him, however, spinning him at the centre of a whirlwind of love, art, war and even murder, as he struggled unsuccessfully to keep control of his life and his kingdom.This first novel in the trilogy The Stuarts: Love, Art, War, shows Charles I growing up and finding love. It puts the vilified king in a different light. Under the wing of his precocious sister Elizabeth, he blossoms and his interest in culture and the arts grows into a passion, or some would say an obsession.‘Sumptuous detail and a rare ability to inhabit character are skilfully combined by Dean to bring an original and compelling portrait of Charles 1 as patron of the Arts, in the first of his trilogy about the Stuarts.’ – Hana Cole‘With historically rich prose Dean’s A Diamond in the Dust, book one of a trilogy, brings to life the intimate and artistic world of The Stuarts of 17th century England. An intriguing and fascinating read.’ – Stephanie Renee dos Santos