Castles in the Air

MP3 Audio CD. Castles in the Air, a set of short stories with memoirs of a French swindler in the early years in the 19th century Paris. The novel was published in 1921. It was dedicated to the good friend of the author named Ratichon, who died years after when his last chapter of his autobiography was written.

Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála"Emmuska" Orczy de Orci who was born on September 23, 1865. She was simply known for her pseudonym Baroness Orczy. She was born in Hungary but lived most of her life in London. She was an author, dramatist, and an artist of royal lineage. The Baronessis best known for her novel series especially the Scarlet Pimpernel, the Doppelganger of Sir Percy Blakeney, a rich British beau who changes into a dreadful gladiator and has a fast thinking of evasion, who shows the real hero with a hidden identity. A few of her paint works were displayed at the Royal Academy in London.

She was the daughter of composer Baron Félix Orczy de Orci and Countess Emma Wass de Szentegyed et Cege, Her grandfather, Baron László Orczy was a royal councillor, and also knight of the Sicilian order of Saint George, her grandmother was the Baroness Magdolna Müller. Her maternal grandparents were the Count Sámuel Wass de Szentegyed et Cege, member of the Hungarian parliament, and Rozália Eperjessy de Károlyfejérvár.

Emma's parents left their acreage for Budapest in 1868, for they fear of the danger of the revolt of the farmers. They settled in Budapest, Brussels, and Paris, and Emma studied music there but failed in doing so. Finally, in 1880, Emma, at the age of 14, and her family went to London where they rented with their countryman, Francis Pichler, at 162 Great Portland Street. The Baroness attended West London School of Art and then Heatherley's School of Fine Art.