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A Novel of Eleanor
St. Martin's Press
June 2006
On Sale: June 13, 2006
384 pages
ISBN: 0312205333
EAN: 9780312205331
Hardcover
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Historical | Fiction
From the mire of a war-torn medieval France rises an unlikely heroine, a noblewoman as brilliant as she is young and beautiful. Upon her beloved father's sudden death in 1137, Eleanor finds herself the Duchess of Aquitaine at fifteen. With no time to mourn and less to finish growing up, Eleanor realizes she must act fast: if word of the duke's death should spread, feudal lords from across France will scramble to her doorstep, clawing at each other to win Aquitaine and Poitou by marrying her. None of her advisors can think what to do, but, with wisdom belying her youth, Eleanor herself devises an ingenious plan to stave off future suitors by marrying none other than King Louis himself. For only as queen can she unify and ultimately save France from itself. But her sex and youth cast doubt upon this budding strategist. Astounding young and old, man and woman alike, Eleanor proves herself noblest in matters both secular and sublime. Inlaid with rich historical detail, The Duchess of Aquitaine breathes youth into an ancient story, that of the girl-queen who would one day join France with England under the Plantagenet name.
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