The Measure of Gold

No magic is more powerful or dangerous than the spell of love. It is 1940, and Germany has just invaded France. Across the ocean, in Sweetwater, Tennessee, Penelope, a beautiful alchemist, receives a letter from her childhood friend, Naomie, urging her to France. Bereft from the loss of her widowed father, Penelope leaves her life and travels to German-occupied Paris. There, she meets Naomie’s brother, the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli and his mysterious apprentice, Lucien. Falling headlong into the alchemy’s esoteric world, she helps Fulcanelli and Lucien resist the Nazi forces. She trains as a spy and infiltrates a powerful brothel, Le Chambrement. As the horrors of war close in around her, Penelope must seduce a murderous Nazi officer in a desperate calculation to save her lover, Lucian. Through the devastating magic of life, Penelope learns that alchemy has far more to do with the person than the element. The Measure of Gold is an epic story of alchemy, betrayal, courage, and transcendent love. "Compelling...Patten examines the link between the mysteries of alchemy and love through passionate romance that develops at the height of WWII." - Kirkus Review "A young woman outwits Nazis through alchemy and espionage...An engrossing supernatural spy story." - Kirkus Review "Fascinating... a powerful tribute to the brave women of the French Resistance" - BlueInk Review “Poetic...A touching novel that features both fantasies and cruel sacrifices [of World War II].” - Foreward Clarion “[An] absorbing, bittersweet novel...intricate, metaphorical descriptions of mathematics, alchemy, and Newton’s ideas thread with reflections of love.” - Foreward Clarion “Poetic elements...make the story’s environment fantastical.” - Foreward Clarion