A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE is the depiction of the life of John
Fitzgilbert. John's early years were spent as Marshal to
Henry I, King of England. John was relatively young to be
the Marshal but the duty had been in his family for
generations. John's family was on the low end of nobility
but he was motivated and wanted to better his life. As
Marshal his duties are vast and range from managing the
stables, keeping order at court to overseeing the enclave
of court prostitutes. When John is given the opportunity
to purchase the guardian ship of the young Aline Pipard he
takes the occasion to further himself by marrying Aline and
inheriting her lands.
Aline is very pious and it is surprising she is able to
bear him two sons; considering how often John is away from
home and how prudish he wife is. While at court John does
his duty well and gives his oath to Henry I's daughter as
the rightful heir. When Henry I died, life for John takes
shocking turns. Will John keep his oath to The Empress
Matilda or will he join the popular belief that her cousin
Stephen would make the better ruler? John's journey is
difficult and trying but as with real life he has ups and
downs and how he deals with them makes him a better man. I
don't want to give away any spoilers but I will say John's
life ends up completely different than he ever dreamed
possible and he finds it was worth enduring the hard road
to arrive at his destination.
A PLACE BEOND COURAGE is a cross between a history book and
Medieval Novel. Author Elizabeth Chadwick is known for her
historically accurate novels. This usually isn't my genre
but I found the story fascinating and came away with a
great deal of knowledge regarding this time period.
Chadwick's detailed descriptions and life-like characters
made for a surprisingly pleasurable experience. I would
recommend A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE to anyone who enjoys
history or is looking for a pleasant novel to read on a
lazy Sunday afternoon.
The early twelfth century is a time for ambitious men to
prosper, and royal servant John FitzGilbert Marshal is one
of them. Raised high as the kin of the deceased King Henry
battle each other for England's throne, John reaps rich
rewards but pays a terrible price for the choices he makes -
as do his family. His wife, fragile, na�ve Aline is
hopelessly unequipped to cope with the demands of a life
lived on the edge and, when John is seriously injured in
battle, her worst nightmare is realised.
Sybilla, bright, forthright sister to the Earl of Salisbury,
finds herself used as a bargaining counter when her brother
seeks to seal a truce with his troublesome neighbour, John
FitzGilbert. And then there is Sybilla's small son, William,
seized hostage by the King for John's word of honour. But
sometimes keeping your honour means breaking your word...
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