Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife to two kings, mother to two others, has been waiting in Heaven a long time -- eight centuries, more or less -- to be reunited with her second husband, Henry II of England. Finally, the day has come when Henry will be judged for admission. While Eleanor, never a patient woman in life or afterlife, waits, three people, each of whom was close to Eleanor during a time of her life, join her. Their reminiscences do far more than help distract Eleanor -- they also paint a rich portrait of an extraordinary woman who was front and center in a remarkable period in history and whose accomplishments have had an important influence on society through the ages.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Nice work of historical fiction for young readers:
This is a fast read -- you'll find yourself drawn into the book quickly -- and a wonderful piece of historical fiction based on Henry II of England, Louis VII of France, and of course Eleanor of Aquitaine, the only woman to be once queen of France and then queen of England. This book enhances a young reader's appreciation for the Middle Ages. Although impressively accurate, Konicsburg makes one error when Empress Matilda (Henry II's mother) refers to King Stephen of England as her nephew when in... more info
Enticing!:
This book was required by my 5th grade daughter's English teacher for her reading comprehension class. She is learning a lot about history and Christianity out of this book. Story is very enticing and keeps my daughter's interest in development.
Eleanor of Aquitaine; So. Cool.:
Before reading this book, I wasn't too interested in Eleanor of Aquitaine. I knew who she was, and dimly remembered reading about her somewhere, but nothing made an impression. At that time, I wasn't particularly interested in British or French history. This book completely changed that. I found Eleanor a fascinating woman, and instantly dove into a pile of books to learn more about her and her real life. "A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver" tells (pretty accurately) of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is... more info
A perfect introduction to some great figures in history:
I read this as a student in the seventh or eighth grade more than a decade ago, so I don't have a detailed enough memory of the book to comment on the quality of the writing. But I do remember that this book introduced me to characters such as Henry II, Eleanor of Acquitaine, and all their sons, and I found it all very interesting. Later in life these people would be brought back to my attention by James Goldman's play "The Lion In Winter" and it was largely my memories of this book that made this play one... more info
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