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Commissioned to produce his 'take' on Swan Lake, the Tchaikovsky ballet for which no fundamental text exists, Helprin modified and extended the story into a surprisingly emotional and profound short epic cycle of ceaselessly alternating triumph and defeat. The world in which this takes place is as extraordinary, hypnotic, and beautiful as that of Winter's Tale. Children and adults are delighted, captivated, and moved, and those who are able may follow as well a Swiftian political and theological subtext. As a splendid and important addition, the richness and beauty of the texts are interpreted by Chris Van Allsburg, the foremost illustrator of our times.

Driven to avenge the murder of her royal parents and reclaim her lost kingdom, a daring young heroine and would-be queen journeys to the besieged city on the plain to seek out its evil conqueror, the Usurper. There she is befriended by two unlikely rebels who shield her from the Usurper and his malevolent legions, even while destiny propels her toward an inevitable confrontation - and the beginning of an epic battle.

Mark Helprin's spellbinding tale reveals a city veiled in snow, at once divine and deadly. Evocatively told and beautifully rendered, A City in Winter will enchant readers of all ages. Stunning illustrations by Chris Van Allsburg lend a palpable richness to the pages, capturing all the exhilarating expanse of of the story -- from the pulse of the masses in the palace square to the wrath of the bloodthirsty Usurper who scours the city streets after curfew, to the opulence of an intimate dinner party set for a thousand guests...

Although her kingdom has lived in peace for many years, the queen has always feared the day the Usurper would return to plunge her city into darkness. Even as she rejoices the birth of her first child, she sees signs of impending danger. Her husband and his army have vanished in the wilderness.

With only a short time left to reinforce the kingdom's defense, her faithful general masterminds a strategy to keep the city safe, against great odds. But even when the Usurper's victory may seem to be complete, the mysterious veil of snows hides a symbol of undying hope.

The Veil of Snows is a moving and powerful tale about the light of the human spirit, a light that can never be wholly extinguished.