Raised to a rigorous Norman standard, Judith, niece to the new Norman king of England, William the Conquerer, is alarmed at her unexpected attraction to an English lord, Waltheof of Huntingdon. The attraction is more than mutual, and Waltheof immediately petitions for her hand in marriage. Witnessing their peculiar attraction is young Simon de Senlis, son of the king’s chamberlain, who is injured by Judith’s boldness in choosing a horse she can’t handle. While Judith and Waltheof are undeniably attracted to one another, setting aside their differences for the sake of their marriage is perhaps more than this couple can bear.
I love Elizabeth Chadwick’s books. Her medieval settings are rich with color and life, while her characters could stroll off the page remarkably easily. Even with this detail, however, which I know she meticulously researches, all of her novels are driven by their characters and their complex relationships with one another. I thought this book was a simple romance, but it turns out to be a multi-generational story of forgiveness for all of the characters. They are for the most part historical characters and Chadwick fleshes out the bare bones of their recorded lives to give us a living, breathing story that is a pleasure to read.
It’s hard to pick out what I appreciate the most here. Despite its five hundred pages, the story simply flew by, and a great deal happens over the course of the narrative. The book is never boring or slow despite the length and I was in fact eager to see what happened next, because things did not go at all as I’d predicted. I wondered how she was going to fill 500 pages with one romance, but of course there is more than that; two romances and even a crusade. Chadwick slips in little historical details over the course of the book, like the way the Normans cut their hair as opposed to the English, or the metal bands that Waltheof wears around his wrists from his Viking ancestors.
The characters are real and as frustrating sometimes as they are lovable. I wanted to shake both Judith and Waltheof as they struggled so much over their differences, but they truly came from different cultures. Simple attraction couldn’t overcome the vast difference in what they wanted from their lives and what they thought was appropriate, and this could be as true of any twenty-first century couple as it is of this eleventh century one. Their descendants are very charismatic and in fact more appealing than Judith and Waltheof, which brought the story to a very enjoyable conclusion.
I’ve really enjoyed all of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books so far, and The Winter Mantle is no exception. I highly recommend any of her books for engrossing historical fiction.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
I’ve only read one of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books, but I really enjoyed it. I want to read more of them!
.-= S. Krishna´s last blog ..Fallen – Lauren Kate =-.
I have been wanting to read this for such a long time. I think it’s the first book in a trilogy or something, and I have to start at the beginning. Glad to hear it’s worth the wait.
.-= jennygirl´s last blog ..Review: The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel =-.
I have only read one of her books too, but I thought it was so well done. Great mix of history and interesting story.
I just started reading The Conquest myself, and am reminded again just how much I enjoy reading her books. I don’t think I have read this one yet.
It sounds like I need to try one of Chadwick’s books.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Progressive Dinner Party – Pear and Blue Cheese Salad =-.
I have this one at home, but haven’t read it yet! Soon, I hope. I think I should read the TGK sequel first, though.
.-= Aarti´s last blog ..Review: The Crown Conspiracy =-.
I really liked this review and will be adding this book to my wish list. I adore a good multi-generational saga and the fact that the main characters have to struggle so much with their cultural differences is also interesting to me. I am probably going to try to pick up this book at the end of the week, and it will be my first Chadwick! I am so excited since I have heard only good things about her writing.
.-= zibilee´s last blog ..Brightest Moon of the Century Giveaway =-.
For some strange reason, your summary of this book made me think of Wuthering Heights.
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..Angel’s Blood =-.
I need to put her on my reading list!
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday 56 =-.
Chadwick is on my TBR list and I’m looking forward to reading a few of her books next year. I’ve heard a lot of good things about her writing.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..The Archer’s Tale =-.
I’ve never read Chadwick. Sounds like I’m missing out.
I really need to get to this author in 2010. This book sounds like something i will definitely enjoy!
.-= Veens´s last blog ..Short Story Reviews =-.
Well, that is definitely what I would consider high praise for a book. I’m really glad that you enjoyed this one. I love books that surprise me: when I go in expecting one thing and get something completely different. Especially when what I get is even better what I expected. I’m glad that you had that experience with this book.
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..Review: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen =-.
Wow!!! You do make this one sound too good to pass up. Even if it is 500+ pages. Thanks!
.-= Wisteria Leigh´s last blog ..Review- Small Kingdoms, Anastasia Hobbet =-.
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