The Magpie

The Magpie is a novel that touches on notions of identity, race and culture. Leo Kazan, half-Russian, half-Indian, is a gifted linguist but an amoral thief who is used by the British until he learns to make his own rules. The Magpie is also the story of Davina, an English girl who is married into an austere Spanish family for money and exiled from all she loves, until she too becomes a thief. With a plot that crosses continents, cutting in and out of countries at war during the first half of the 20th century, this is a boy meets girl love story full of machinations and larger than life characters. After studying a range of subjects including Literature and Philosophy in Britain and the U.S., Harlond obtained an M.A. in Social and Political Thought and moved to Italy. She has subsequently worked in various different countries and currently lives in Southern Spain.