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Queen by Right by Anne Easter Smith. US release April 11, 2011; UK release May 3, 2011 (cover subject to change). Anne Easter Smith’s novels are beloved by readers for their ability “to grab you, sweep you along with the story, and make you fall in love with the characters” (Historical Novels Review). In Cecily Neville, Duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, Anne has found her most engrossing character yet. History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen By Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, Duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match, and together they face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen By Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.
The Laws of Motion by Laurel Corona. US release April 12, 2011. From an award-winning author comes an exquisite historical novel about two young women growing up in pre-Revolution France, set against the freethinking French Enlightenment salons of Paris.Lili is a thoughtful and serious girl growing up as the ward of a Parisian noblewoman, Julie de Bercy. Madame de Bercy, a friend of Lili’s late mother, a brilliant and controversial scientist, has a daughter, Delphine, the same age as Lili. Though they could hardly be more different, the two girls grow up as sisters, steadfast friends, and confidantes. Delphine sets her sights on a courtly marriage, while Lili pursues a love based on a shared life of the mind. Lili can never understand Delphine’s fascination with frivolous things like beautiful dresses, perfect curtsies, and fairytale endings. She prefers a life in pursuit of the truth about nature and people. But when she boards with Delphine at a convent school where independent thinking is punished, it becomes clear to Lili that she is expected to be satisfied with having no goals in life other than to be a supportive wife, charming conversationalist, and pious mother. Set in France during the last decades before the French Revolution, The Laws of Motion explores the complicated tensions between the frivolity of court and the serious pursuit of scientific knowledge, and the perils of being caught between the demand for conformity and the need to fulfill one’s genius. Through Lili’s discoveries, we are reminded of the importance of remaining true to ourselves—regardless of the consequences.
Queen by Right sounds right up my alley!
August 13, 2010 9:41 AM
I've wanted to read Anne Easter Smith's books for long time and this sounds good!
August 13, 2010 9:53 AM