In this gripping true-life memoir, Patrice Chaplin returns to the ancient city of secrets, Girona – its magnetism and enchantment never to be forgotten. It was in Girona that she first encountered the hidden Society, preserved since antiquity, that influenced such illustrious figures as Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, Otto Rahn and Howard Hughes – and even the cryptical priest of Rennes-le-Château, Bérenger Saunière. What mystery is protected by this esoteric society?

In the spirit of her books The City of Secrets and The Portal, Patrice continues her search to solve the enigmas of Girona. When the Society appears to offer her its secret – on the basis that she becomes its custodian and remains in Catalonia – she is faced with a decision that will change her life forever. Sensing danger, she must anticipate the intentions of those around her. Knowledge is not only power, but also the best way to survive. Drawn into a series of adventures, she is taken to holy sites, isolated castles and ancient graves said to be linked to religious figures from the distant past. Finally, Patrice is led to a secret chapel in an isolated place: the domain of the Stone Cradle. Once touched, she is told, one would always return, even in dreams. This is a place of multidimensional reality, but also of peril – a portal to the unknown. What is its purpose? In The Stone Cradle, the culmination of her work, Patrice Chaplin discovers the secret of Girona and glimpses the truth beyond everyday reality.

PATRICE CHAPLIN is an internationally renowned playwright and author who has published more than two dozen books. Her most notable works include Albany Park, Siesta (which was made into a film starring Jodi Foster and Isabella Rossellini), Into the Darkness Laughing, Hidden Star, Night Fishing and Death Trap. Her stage play From the Balcony was commissioned by London’s National Theatre in conjunction with Radio 3. As a bohemian in Paris during the 50s and 60s, Patrice spent time with Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Married to Charlie Chaplin’s son Michael and living and working in Hollywood, she was associated with Lauren Bacall, Miles Davis, Salvador Dali, Marlon Brando and Jean Cocteau, who gave her a starring role in one of his films.

In her books City of Secrets (2007), The Portal (2010) and now The Stone Cradle, Patrice opens the door to entirely new and compelling elements of the Rennes-le-Château mystery involving the mysterious Catalan capital of Girona. Patrice is the director of The Bridge, a non-profit organization that leads workshops based in the performing arts as a new and unique way to help fight addiction. She is based in North London.