After her mother's death, Tessa, a Dutch woman, discovers that her father is a Portuguese. Impulsively, she travels to the Algarve to find him. She meets Viv, an English woman living on her father Jorge's estate. However, the marvellous Quinta Esteves in the village of Fábrica is less beautiful than it seems. Soon it turns out that behind the attractive front many family secrets are hidden. Meanwhile, something special develops between Tessa and the eldest son, but what if she says that she is family?

Ellen van Herk (Rotterdam, 1967) has been writing stories since childhood. After she bought a second home in Portugal with her husband in 2014, this is where she draws inspiration for her novels. She does not avoid difficult issues such as child abuse, domestic violence and alcoholism. Her novels are mostly set in Portugal. In addition to writing, she is a freelance secretary for a research agency and a language buddy for refugees.