The Tapestry

The third installment in Bilyeau's award-winning trilogy finds Joanna Stafford vowing to live a quiet life weaving tapestries after her Dominican priory is closed by King Henry VIII. When she's summoned to Whitehall by the king, who admires her weavings, she discovers her life is in danger. Nicola Barber's excellent narration brings Henry VIII's court to life, introducing listeners to a variety of historic figures, including the scheming Thomas Cromwell and na•ve Catherine Howard. Barber handles multiple characters, including a diversity of male voices, with impressive ease and offers an especially engaging portrait of Joanna, a complex, likable heroine with spunk and brains to spare. Both a lively and accurate history lesson and a well-crafted suspense novel, this production will satisfy an array of listeners, keeping them enthralled for hours. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 1, 2015

In the final book in this Tudor-era trilogy (The Crown; The Chalice), Joanna Stafford, former ex-novice in the Dominican order, enjoys a quiet life in the Dartford countryside, weaving tapestries and living as devout a life as she can since King Henry VIII and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell abolished the monasteries. Her wish for a simple country existence is shattered, however, when the king summons her to the palace at Whitehall for a possible tapestry commission. Unbeknownst to Henry, Joanna was once drawn into a plot to assassinate the tyrannical monarch, which only adds to her reluctance to leave Dartford. Her sense of foreboding is justified when she narrowly escapes being kidnapped upon arrival at Whitehall. She is happy to be placed in a room with her old friend Catherine Howard but dismayed to learn that Catherine's powerful family is pressuring her to become the king's mistress. After she learns of a plot to bring down Cromwell, Joanna once again finds herself dangerously enmeshed in court intrigue. Bilyeau's novel features an eclectic cast of richly drawn characters, expertly portrayed with flair by narrator Nicola Barber. VERDICT Barber's sublime narration makes this, and the rest of the trilogy, an essential purchase for all historical fiction collections. ["A bit of a quagmire to muddle through.... Still, fans of this period of English history and readers who enjoyed the first two books might consider this title": LJ 3/1/15 review of the Touchstone hc.]--Beth Farrell, Cleveland State Univ. Law Lib.

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