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A Novel
by Vanora Bennett
Book Reviewed by:A fictionalized account of the life and loves of Catherine de Valois, a woman of enormous courage who became a great queen of two countries. Readers who enjoy top-quality historical fiction will be swept away by this epic love story set against the rich backdrop of 15th-century England and France—and by this remarkable woman who triumphed magnificently by making her own rules.
Catherine de Valois, daughter of the French king Charles VI, is born into troubled times. Though she is brought up in a royal court, it is a stormy and unstable environment. Before she is out of her teens, Catherine is married off to England's Henry V as part of a treaty honoring his victory over France. She is terrified at the idea of being married to a man who is a foreigner, an enemy, and a rough soldier, and is forced to leave her home for England.
Within two years she is widowed, and mother to the future King of England and France—even though her brother has laid claim to the French crown for himself. Caught between warring factions of her own family and under threat by the powerful lords of the English court, she must find a way to keep her infant son safe. In Owain Tudor, a childhood friend for whom Catherine has long had affection and who now controls the Royal household, Catherine finds both strength and kinship. As their friendship turns to love, however, she risks not only her life and that of her son but the uneasy balance of power in England and France that will be forever changed.
History comes alive in this lyrical and moving true story of one woman's courage and the inception of one of the most famous royal lineages of all time.
ONE
The page made himself as inconspicuous as possible at the
back of the English delegation, looking at the vast tapestries
on the walls of this dusty, splendid Parisian hall, clutching his
box to his chest, waiting for his cue.
His latest master, the Duke of Clarence, had turned away
from the repulsively fat French Queen, his hostess, whose
eyes were glittering as wickedly as the jewels half-buried in
the flesh of her slug fingers. Clarence fixed his eyes on the
fourteen-year-old Princess at her side. The Princess was
Owain’s age, and quite a pretty girl, Owain judged, with light
brown hair and freckles and gentle eyes over a long nose; it
would be sad if time turned her into a swollen monster like
her mother. Owain also noticed that the Princess’s cheeks were
very pink, which perhaps wasn’t surprising since her top
garment was an enormous green velvet houppelande, magnificently
trimmed with miniver fur – very stately, but far too...
Ms. Bennett pens a wondrous tale of young love, and its maturation. Filled with memorable characters, vivid descriptions, and attention to detail we are served a fictitious novel based on historical facts. If you love romance The Queen’s Lover will not disappoint. The plots and subplots sweep you into a whirlwind tale filled with heroes, villains, war, greed, manipulation, deceit, betrayal, fear, laughter, separation, and hope - just to name a few of its many elements. Book groups will find many topics for discussion. Thank you Ms. Bennett. I'd truly forgotten how fascinating this period of history could be!..continued
Full Review
(486 words)
(Reviewed by First Impressions Reviewers).
Portrayed in The Queen's Lover as mentor to Catherine de Valois, Christine de Pizan was quite a woman! She was the first woman in France, possibly in Europe, to earn her living as a writer. Born in Venice in 1365, her family moved to Paris when she was about five when her father, Tomasso de Pizzano, was appointed as court astrologer/physician to King Charles V of France (where the family name was changed to Pizan). Christine grew up in the royal court which at the time was renowned for its intellectual pursuits and for having the finest library in Western Europe. At age 15, she was happily married to Etienne du Castel, a young scholar and court secretary who encouraged her to continue her studies - but her idyllic life was not...
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