Pedro Gonzales was born with hair all over his body. He is afflicted with a condition called hypertrichosis, which makes him look more like an animal than a human being. He was abandoned in front of a church when he was a baby, and the people who took him in has cared for him as their own.

It is 1547, and life on the island of Tenerife is difficult for Pedro, who is teased mercilessly by the children in his village. He spends much of his time on the beach, searching for shellfish to add to the food on the table and empty shells for Isabelle (one of his guardians) to make into jewelry and sell. One day, while out on his own and tucked away in his secret hiding spot, he is kidnapped by a slave broker and sold to King Henri II of France.

"Molly Greeley brings the period alive with vivid descriptions of time, place and characters.... Readers will be captivated by this unforgettable love story that is also about faith, hope and humanity."

Pedro, now known as “Monsieur Sauvage,” lives the rest of his life as a “possession” of royalty. While he never lacks for material things, he doesn’t get what he longs for the most --- respect and freedom. But he won’t be alone forever.

Queen Catherine de’ Medici, who is fascinated by Pedro, makes a deal with a trader who loses his fortune when his merchant ship sinks. She will wipe out his debts if his beautiful daughter, 17-year-old Catherine Raffelin, marries Pedro. This is all in the hopes that the two will mate and Pedro will produce more delightfully hairy “pets” to be shown off at court.

Pedro and Catherine, who has been christened “Madame Sauvage” by the royal courtiers, do indeed become a couple and have children, the majority of whom are hairy like their father. But they also, against all odds, fall in love and live together for almost 50 years.

Readers are transported back centuries to a time when people like Pedro were considered “oddities,” often “kept” by royalty and treated like pets. Acclaimed author Molly Greeley brings the period alive with vivid descriptions of time, place and characters.

Switching between the past and the present, and back again, MARVELOUS is told from the alternating points of view of “Monsieur Sauvage” and “Madame Sauvage.” At times heartwarming and heartbreaking, the book is based on actual events that occurred during the Renaissance. Readers will be captivated by this unforgettable love story that is also about faith, hope and humanity.