Author, pianist and composer Leona Francombe is of English and Czech heritage and grew up in the United States. Her novels include: "The Heron Legacy" (Merle Books Brussels, 2024); "The Universe in 3/4 Time: A Novel of Old Europe" (Merle Books Brussels, 2021; shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize); "The Sage of Waterloo" (W.W. Norton, 2015); "Madame Ernestine und die Entdeckung der Liebe" (Random House Germany, 2014). She is also the author of many short stories and essays. Her work is inspired by, among other things: European history and atmosphere, music, ancient mysteries, Nature mysticism and the otherworldly. "The Heron Legacy" came to life after the discovery of a medieval ruin in a remote part of the Ardennes Forest. Encountering an abandoned piano on a Brussels street one winter's night was the catalyst for "The Universe in 3/4 Time." Leona lives in Belgium with her family.
