Today we’ll talk with Simon Tolkien about his novel "The Palace at the End of the Sea," in which a young man comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity — and a cause — at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War. We’ll also talk about part two of this historical saga "The Room of Lost Steps," continuing the story of an American boy with impossible dreams who is thrust into the cauldron of the Spanish Civil War.
Simon Tolkien is the author of "No Man’s Land," "Orders from Berlin," "The King of Diamonds," "The Inheritance," and "Final Witness." He studied modern history at Trinity College, Oxford, and went on to become a London barrister specializing in criminal defense. Simon is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien and is a director of the Tolkien Estate. In 2022 he was named as series consultant to the Amazon TV series The Rings of Power. He lives with his wife, vintage fashion author Tracy Tolkien, and their two children, Nicholas and Anna, in Southern California.
