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Chargement... The Love Knotpar Vanessa Alexander
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Spring, 1297. Recently widowed Joanna of Acre, dutiful and loving daughter of Edward I, is pleased at her father's unexpected visit. Ostensibly Edward's visit is prompted by patriarchal concern, in reality he is motivated by the whisper of a rumour that Joanna, still officially in her widow's weeds, has begun an inappropriate friendship with penniless commoner, Ralph Monthermer. Edward's fury is unbounded when he discovers what he believes to be proof of a clandestine affair. He immures Joanna in a nunnery and imprisons Ralph within Bristol Castle. Only Henry Trokelowe, Edward's clerk, prevents him from killing Ralph, who is allowed to live while the cold, almost passionless Henry investigates. Ralph and Joanna's only chance of survival lies in the hands of Henry Trokelowe but how can a confirmed bachelor even begin to understand the all-consuming passion that binds Ralph and Joanna? Vannessa Alexander's richly evocative novel, immersed in the colours, drama and essence of Medieval life, combines fact and fiction to tell one of history's greatest but most secret love affairs. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)823.9Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern PeriodÉvaluationMoyenne:
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The letters are written by several of the characters: from Joanna to Ralph and vice versa; and from Trokelowe to the King (and there are a couple of letters at the end from the King to various people, to tie up the loose ends of the story). Each of the characters writes in a very distinct, unique style. Trokelowe, having seen people destroyed by love, is a skeptic on the subject matter, and has even written on the subject of the danger of lovesickness; so it was interesting over the course of the letters to see things from his point of view.
In the meantime, I was very drawn in by Joan and Ralph’s romance, which wasn’t at all run-of-the-mill. Joanna, having seen her parents have a loving, happy relationship, wants the same for herself, and it’s this desire that propels her action throughout the book. The novel is short, and it only covers a period of about three months, during the spring and early summer of 1297. Therefore, it necessarily leaves quite a lot out, which in some ways is a shame, since there’s such a wealth of material here that the author could have worked with (for example, Joanna gave birth to her oldest child with Monthermer in October 1297—ten months after the death of Gilbert de Clare—so it’s possible that by the time this novel takes place, she would have known about the pregnancy). It’s a wonderful story; I’d love to find a longer account of it! ( )