Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

The hero of Ludwig Bemelmans' first novel is one Leonidas Erosa, a South American general heavy with years and money, residing in Biarritz with his retinue. This includes a paragon of a cook (no Bemelmans book would be complete without fine food); an Indian to care for his dogs; a fabulous secretary; a mistress; and the faithful English governess, Miss Graves, who carries her coffin with her when they travel. This sportive party, at the approach of war, sets out for America. Their adventures in Casablanca, in New York, and finally on the old hacienda in Ecuador, are a saga of life, love, death, and birth.