The Queen's Lover: Summary and book reviews of The Queen's Lover by Vanora Bennett, plus links to an excerpt from The Queen's Lover and a biography of Vanora Bennett.
The Queen's Lover A Novel
by Vanora Bennett
Hardcover: Mar 2010,
592 pages.
Paperback: Mar 2011,
592 pages.
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.
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! (Reviewed by BookBrowse First Impression Reviewers).
Publishers Weekly
It might seem foolhardy to dig into the treasure trove of English history and yank out one of its least illustrious characters for a revisionist makeover, yet Bennett pulls it off in this dishy historical ...
Library Journal
Starred Review. Bennett offers a compelling and occasionally solemn coming-of-age tale about a young woman who must navigate her conflicting roles as daughter, sister, wife, and mother.
The Times (UK)
Bennett writes thoughtful, well-research historical fiction, finding connections between past and present without too much silliness or fact-bending, and with plenty of romance. And the subject is fascinating. Enormous, in every sense of the word.
Daily Mail
A page-turning story, successfully evoking the atmosphere of intrigue and fear that beset the times.
Lancashire Evening Post
Comparatively little is known about the rather bizarre life of Catherine de Valois, wife of Henry V, but one of the best historical novelists around has conjured up a fascinating portrait of this forgotten queen.
Historical Novel Society
This is quite simply an excellent read!
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Melanie J. (Rosemary Beach, FL) The Queen's Lover A good read. I love to read historical fiction and learn about the time period amidst the story. Ms. Bennett weaves some wonderful themes of love and commitment for children and the search for freedom. Sometimes I got bogged down in trying to... Read More
Rated of 5
by Sandra L. (Newton, MA) An insight into the real Tutors This very long (over 500 pages) historical novel involves the merge of France and England in the 15th c . Part fiction and part historical you are involved from the beginning of the intrigue and diplomacy of the rise of the Tudors and the French... Read More
Rated of 5
by Judith M. (San Diego, CA) The Queen's Lover I don't usually choose to read historical fiction, but I know it is popular with many readers. As I'm interested in the historical subject matter, I thought it would be interesting to give it a try. While the story started slowly with a bit too... Read More
Rated of 5
by Joanne V. (Towanda, PA) The Queen's Lover I loved this book! One of my favorite periods in English history and about two characters, Catherine Valois and Owain Tudor, that I had only read about peripherally in the many books I have read about the Lancaster/York and the War of the Roses.... Read More
Rated of 5
by Judith P. (rosebud, missouri) Bring History to Life I enjoyed this book because it takes characters from history and makes them real people. One has no idea of the hardships of royalty. You can identify with the constant struggles of survival. The intrigue and subterfuge needed to maintain one's... Read More
Rated of 5
by Patricia M. (Highland Heights, OH) The Queen's Lover The Queen's Lover opens a new window in to the stories of the monarchy of England that has not been seen in great detail in the past. With our interests in Henry the VIII and the Tudors, this is a story showing "how they got there" and what... Read More
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 to last. By twenty-five she was widowed with three children, a niece and a widowed mother to support, and with no money to call on as her father's estate was locked up by legal wrangling for twelve years.
Christine (who wrote in her adopted tongue of Middle French) had a significant influence on fifteenth-century poetry in...
A haunting novel of rivalry, love, and betrayal that transports readers back to Renaissance Italy, Leonardo's Swans will have you dashing to the works of the great painter—not for clues to a mystery but to contemplate the secrets of the human heart.
Gregory vividly brings Henry VIII's court, with its intense intrigues, politics, and passions, to life though the lives, and deaths, of his fourth, fifth and sixth wives.
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(936 words).
Publishers Weekly
of 5
by Melanie J. (Rosemary Beach, FL)
of 5
by Judith M. (San Diego, CA)
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