The Queen's Lover

January 25, 2010
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 (Figures in Silk
) pulls it off in this dishy historical set against the violent backdrop of 15th-century England and France. The high drama of pitched battles, palace intrigue, and cutthroat politics are mere scene setters for the romance between timid French princess Catherine de Valois, wife of Henry V, and Welsh soldier-poet Owain Tudor. While the English begin their invasion of France, and France falls into civil war, Bennett describes the young Catherine growing up neglected and impoverished in the midst of royal family dysfunction—and seeing a way out through a marriage to England’s Henry V, as “she wanted not to live on the edge of fear, with everything so sad and out of control.” But it’s exactly those hurdles that make Catherine’s story so remarkable, and Bennett’s retelling is so riven with tension—including a haunting portrait of Catherine’s father, King Charles—that readers will be hard-pressed to put this down.

Starred review from January 15, 2010
Bennett ("Figures in Silk") returns to medieval Europe with the story of French princess Catherine de Valois (140137). As the neglected youngest daughter of mad King Charles VI and the dissolute Queen Isabeau, Catherine endures a childhood filled with fear and upheaval. Her only stable influence comes from her tutor, the renowned poet and writer Christine de Pizan. It is through Christine that Catherine first meets Owain Tudor, a young man descended from the once powerful royal family of Wales. Raised in England after his family's capture and imprisonment, Owain now serves as a devoted page in Henry V's household. Catherine and Owain develop a deep friendship, one that will sustain her through her brief marriage to the English king in the wake of his victory at Agincourt, widowhood, and role as mother of an infant Henry VI, the future ruler of England and France. VERDICT Despite the suggestive title, readers searching for a steamy historical romance may have to look elsewhere. Instead, 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. Highly recommended for all readers of historical fiction. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 11/15/09.]Makiia Lucier, Moscow, ID

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