Scan barcode
A review by jennysaisquois
The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
4.0
As a longtime student (both casual and academic) of medieval history, I've been aware of and interested in Eleanor of Aquitaine for a long time, but while I was familiar with the basics of her youth and first marriage, I didn't know nearly as much about that period of her life as I had learned about her life after marrying Henry Plantagenet. The Summer Queen was a fascinating look at Eleanor/Alienor's early life, the life of medieval women, and the politics of medieval France. It's clear from the outset that Elizabeth Chadwick put a lot of effort into researching this book, and it pays off with abundant detail of clothing, architecture, food, travel, warfare, and politics that gives a vibrant picture of the time without feeling dry or shoehorned in. A modern reader - especially a modern woman - can find much to identify with in Alienor, who despite her wealth, privilege, and ability was constantly sidelined or disregarded because of her gender. Nevertheless, she's portrayed here as a woman of her time in her attitudes towards faith and family. I was a little disappointed that the book ends early in her second marriage; it was so satisfying to see Alienor enjoying a relationship with a partner who valued her intelligence and experience as a ruler in contrast to her first marriage.
Happily, there are plenty of readalikes that spring to mind that feature interesting and intelligent medieval women and intrigues and complicated relationships on large and small scales. I'd particularly recommend Judith Koll Healey's Princess Alais series, in which the daughter of Alienor's first husband and his second wife solves mysteries of high politics and court intrigue. Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death features another outstanding, although fictional, woman, a doctor summoned to England by Henry II as a forensic investigator. Cora Harrison's Burren Mysteries is set in early Tudor-era Ireland and deals with more local politics and mysteries, but also features a woman wielding influence in male-dominated spheres.
Happily, there are plenty of readalikes that spring to mind that feature interesting and intelligent medieval women and intrigues and complicated relationships on large and small scales. I'd particularly recommend Judith Koll Healey's Princess Alais series, in which the daughter of Alienor's first husband and his second wife solves mysteries of high politics and court intrigue. Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death features another outstanding, although fictional, woman, a doctor summoned to England by Henry II as a forensic investigator. Cora Harrison's Burren Mysteries is set in early Tudor-era Ireland and deals with more local politics and mysteries, but also features a woman wielding influence in male-dominated spheres.