I am going well - have just read the 2nd book in the Historical Reading Challenge and enjoyed the story immensely.
Rating: 4
Country: England
I had not heard of this author until seeing her mentioned on the Historical Reading site, so decided to get into her world.
The story starts around 1040 AD with Sir Ivon De Clairpont, a Norman Knight who has been captured and taken as a thrall, after the Massacre of Gildenford, wherein the knights were betrayed by the English earl, Earl Godwin.
Ivon cannot accept his fate and attempts 3 times to escape his bondage, but eventually realises that his only way out is to kill himself.
Following his 3rd attempt at escape, he is injured in the chase by his captors, by an arrow to the ankle, and one of the thrall women, Gunnor is to look after him.
She has been trying to catchi his eye for sometime, but Ivon feels that as he is a Knight, he is above the other thralls.
Eventually the barriers break down, especially after Gunnor realises that Ivon wants to do away with himself, and they settle down and have children.
Through the plagues etc that follow, Ivon and Gunnor are left to look after their grandson, called Ivon Oddeyes (the de clairpont men have eyes that are 2 different colours). Ivon grows up a confused boy, as his grandfather has told him the story that he is descended from Norman knights . Ivon witnesses many atrocities, all mainly by the Normans, and eventually when he marries and has the opportunity of becoming a freeman, he will not accept his Norman background, and refuses.
And so the story follows through the descendants up to the 1200's
I am looking forward to the other books in the series
THE RUTHLESS YEOMEN
WOMEN OF ASHDON
THE FAITHFUL LOVERS
THE CHERISHED WIVES
THE DOWERLESS SISTERS
Would recommend to any reader of historical fiction.
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