Set at the height of the tulipomania that gripped Holland in 17th century, this is the story of Cornelius van Baerle, a humble grower whose sole desire is to grow the perfect specimen of the tulip negra. After his powerful godfather is assassinated, the unwitting Cornelius becomes caught up in deadly political intrigue and is falsely accused of high treason by a bitter rival. Condemned to life imprisonment, his only comfort is Rosa, the jailers beautiful daughter, and together they concoct a plan to grow the black tulip in secret. Also we meet the scheming and wicked Isaac Boxtel, who labors to acquire the elusive black tulip for himself, stooping even to falsely imprison the naive Cornelius. The Black Tulip, by Alexandre Dumas, is a work of historical fiction that mixes actual events in the Netherlands in the 17th century with fictional characters and events. A masterful retelling of one of the most infamous incidents in Dutch history, it is not to be missed by fans of historical fiction.