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Medieval Babes: Tales of Little-Known Ladies #1
My Fair Lady: A Story of Eleanor of Provence, Henry III's Lost Queen
Eleanor of Provence, child bride, loving wife, loving mother of Edward Longshanks. Eleanor, hated queen, despised for her spendthrift ways, pelted by the mob. Eleanor, foe of the unnerving, unsettling warrior Simon de Montfort and his barons, who threaten her husband's reign...and life Eleanor, taking vows in a convent in Amesbury, where she vanished from history, even her grave lost in time....
223 pages, Paperback
Published September 5, 2016
733 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
J.P. Reedman
105 books170 followersBorn in Canada, J.P. Reedman has been a UK resident for over 30 years. She has been writing since the age of 5, and preferred genres are fantasy and historical (or a mixture of both.) Interests are British history and prehistory, especially the neolithic and bronze ages, archaeology, anthropology and features of the countryside. She is author of the STONEHENGE SAGA a novel that places the legends of King Arthur back into the bronze age, and a number of works about King Richard III, including the epic, I RICHARD PLANTAGENET, which, with both parts combined, is over 250,000 words long and written from Richard's first person perspective. She is also the author of the bestselling medieval novel, MY FAIR LADY, about the little known Queen, Eleanor of Provence which is first in an ongoing series about lesser-known medieval noblewoman. 13 SO FAR!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
July 17, 2024
Eleanor of Provence was the very young bride of England's Henry III, a typical Plantegenet king, wary of his barons and possessing a hot temper. Eleanor begins as a pliant, agreeable wife, but turns into a queen who generally wants her way in everything, and even butting heads w/ her royal husband occasionally, and always annoying Henry's nobles w/ her preferential treatment of her own relatives.
The book begins w/ the architect Inigo Jones and his assistant excavating a site at a former abbey; in the process, they find a tomb in which resides a skeleton in expensive dress. They assume it is a queen; re-cover the grave; and leave it alone. Then the story of Eleanor begins. So... we are set up to believe that Eleanor is this "lost queen."
From there, we jump back in time, and follow Eleanor and her Provençal family throughout the decades. This story isn't just Eleanor's, b/c as Eleanor's fortunes go, so do her family's. She sweet-talks Henry into supporting various family members w/ lands and majors in England, as well as supporting them financially in their various wars. And the barons of 13th-century England were ALWAYS at war over something, including going on crusades! Eleanor also runs afoul of her own sons from time to time. Eleanor is presented as a plotter and a schemer; the only time I felt this was truly necessary was when her husband and eldest son were held captive by the evil baron, Simon de Montfort, who really was the bane of the existence of Henry III and his son, Edward. Eleanor outlives Henry by at least a decade, and eventually goes to live w/ the nuns at Amesbury Abbey, near her castle of Marlborough -- which is where Inigo Jones is doing his digging in the 17th century.
How much of the "lost queen" info is true? IDK, b/c history records little about this Eleanor, and until reading this surprisingly-interesting novel from Kindle Unlimited, I knew nothing about her. It is possible that the "lost queen" of the 17th century was actually Eleanor, b/c Eleanor's intended tomb next to Henry III in Westminster Abbey is actually occupied by her daughter-in-law, Edward I's beloved lost queen, Eleanor of Castile. So... interesting! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
The book begins w/ the architect Inigo Jones and his assistant excavating a site at a former abbey; in the process, they find a tomb in which resides a skeleton in expensive dress. They assume it is a queen; re-cover the grave; and leave it alone. Then the story of Eleanor begins. So... we are set up to believe that Eleanor is this "lost queen."
From there, we jump back in time, and follow Eleanor and her Provençal family throughout the decades. This story isn't just Eleanor's, b/c as Eleanor's fortunes go, so do her family's. She sweet-talks Henry into supporting various family members w/ lands and majors in England, as well as supporting them financially in their various wars. And the barons of 13th-century England were ALWAYS at war over something, including going on crusades! Eleanor also runs afoul of her own sons from time to time. Eleanor is presented as a plotter and a schemer; the only time I felt this was truly necessary was when her husband and eldest son were held captive by the evil baron, Simon de Montfort, who really was the bane of the existence of Henry III and his son, Edward. Eleanor outlives Henry by at least a decade, and eventually goes to live w/ the nuns at Amesbury Abbey, near her castle of Marlborough -- which is where Inigo Jones is doing his digging in the 17th century.
How much of the "lost queen" info is true? IDK, b/c history records little about this Eleanor, and until reading this surprisingly-interesting novel from Kindle Unlimited, I knew nothing about her. It is possible that the "lost queen" of the 17th century was actually Eleanor, b/c Eleanor's intended tomb next to Henry III in Westminster Abbey is actually occupied by her daughter-in-law, Edward I's beloved lost queen, Eleanor of Castile. So... interesting! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
April 21, 2024
Don’t let the cheap Amazon covers fool you, this series is excellent and if you are a reader of Jean Plaidy, Phillipa Gregory, etc. I’d highly recommend these books.
I read this in a weekend, these books move very quickly and a great fast read. Obviously it’s historical fiction so some events that happen should be taken with a grain of salt, but I’ve always believed the point of HF is to help the reader empathize with the character and try to imagine when the past might have been like, even if it takes a bit of artistic license.
That being said though, these books seem very well researched, and I always like when HF authors have an afterwards where they show their research and let the reader know what isn’t proven to be a hard fact.
I had never really heard of this Eleanor before (I think she’s in one of Alison Weir’s long-ass books on Medieval English queens) so it’s cool to learn to about her and her life. Again, women have always been doing shit, in front of and behind the scenes, we just don’t hear about it as much because of the misogyny of the time. Or what we do here is heavily biased because, you guessed it, misogyny.
I’m obsessed with trying to imagine what it would’ve been like to be a person in the past, whether it’s an English Queen or a medieval peasant (Medieval Woman or Down the Common is one of my favorite books of all time because of this) so I really enjoy this “memoir style” of HR.
I read this in a weekend, these books move very quickly and a great fast read. Obviously it’s historical fiction so some events that happen should be taken with a grain of salt, but I’ve always believed the point of HF is to help the reader empathize with the character and try to imagine when the past might have been like, even if it takes a bit of artistic license.
That being said though, these books seem very well researched, and I always like when HF authors have an afterwards where they show their research and let the reader know what isn’t proven to be a hard fact.
I had never really heard of this Eleanor before (I think she’s in one of Alison Weir’s long-ass books on Medieval English queens) so it’s cool to learn to about her and her life. Again, women have always been doing shit, in front of and behind the scenes, we just don’t hear about it as much because of the misogyny of the time. Or what we do here is heavily biased because, you guessed it, misogyny.
I’m obsessed with trying to imagine what it would’ve been like to be a person in the past, whether it’s an English Queen or a medieval peasant (Medieval Woman or Down the Common is one of my favorite books of all time because of this) so I really enjoy this “memoir style” of HR.
October 20, 2018
Good story, needs editing
I enjoyed this story of Eleanor. I didn’t know much about her, although I had read about Simon de Montfort, so it was interesting hearing about the other side of the story. I’m always interested in reading about women in history especially because not much is known about the women of that period. Eleanor seemed to covet power and was intelligent enough to know how to guide her husband, at least that’s how the story is told. The author has done good research into the characters and fleshed them out well. My main complaint about the book is the editing. It’s poor. There are so many typos and misspelled words or missing words. If you need a copy editor, I’m available.
I enjoyed this story of Eleanor. I didn’t know much about her, although I had read about Simon de Montfort, so it was interesting hearing about the other side of the story. I’m always interested in reading about women in history especially because not much is known about the women of that period. Eleanor seemed to covet power and was intelligent enough to know how to guide her husband, at least that’s how the story is told. The author has done good research into the characters and fleshed them out well. My main complaint about the book is the editing. It’s poor. There are so many typos and misspelled words or missing words. If you need a copy editor, I’m available.
November 9, 2020
I enjoyed this book very much! A wonderfully research, fiction account of Eleanor of Provence, a queen and the mother of Edward Longshanks. I have already downloaded the second one book in the series.
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February 3, 2021Interesting historical perspective
Enjoyed reading the book. It is an interesting historical fiction. I would recommend this book for anyone enjoying English historical fiction.
Enjoyed reading the book. It is an interesting historical fiction. I would recommend this book for anyone enjoying English historical fiction.
June 4, 2023
Interesting but not memorable.
This is a novel about the Henry's III Queen, Eleonor of provence, who is a very different and unique character in history, for different reasons, she was a child who grow up in a happy family, she lived like a princess, but her parents were poor and not extremely powerful, despite that, Eleonor was rised to be an educated woman too much for the time, and like her sister her potential as a beautiful and foreign noble was well used by her parents, who wanted their girls to be queens, her elder sister was queen of France and her younger sister was queen of the Romans, Eleonor at least in the novel was not pushed to any crown, she herself obsessed with English tales, found her way to present herself as a good option for England's crown, whose king Henry III was still single, thank to her audacity and skills to write poems she was successful, and ended up marrying Henry and becoming his queen, at that time she was less than 15 years and of course is very innocent of politics, is a sweet and pretty girl who just has to enjoy the attention and the gifts, but soon she realizes that her husband is a weak king and his court is full of wolfs that betray him again and again, Eleonor is very loved by her husband and thanks to that she gets all what she wants, what makes her to be a spoiled child, she uses that power to favour one or two members of her family, as far as I know she actually helped more people but the point is used in the novel, and with years passing Eleonor becomes more and more involved in the catastrophic government of her husband, her advices are far of being smart , but she still interfere not helping at all, of course we also see her life as a queen that was hated by her people, and a mother who truly loved all her children, of course this book covers the interesting moment in history when henry III basically lost his crown, and his brother in law Simon takes the power.
So yes this is an interesting tale, but I honestly thought that I was going to enjoy this book more than I did, I will start saying that this book has three positive things that made me give 3 stars.
Is fast and easy to read.
The research is truly very good.
The way that the author fill the blanks works well.
Now all the things that I disliked:
It is written in first person but Eleonor feelings are not really expressed, just feels really deep when her daughter die, apart from that we don't know nothing of her heart, if she loves her husband, if she dislike something of him, if she feels disappointed of her mother, if she ever feels jealous, if she is afraid, if she feels guilty, sometimes the story tells the feeling but is not really there.
The book tells doesn't show, the quantity of dialogues is very very very less, with her husband she talks like 10 times in all the book, and they talk just about politics, in general the novel yes tells what happens, but doesn't show interesting scenes, save two or three.
The story most of time is flat and dry, it doesn't have those things that make you feel surprised, happy, or angry, is predictable even if you don't know the history, there is not creativity in the story, I like the accuracy but two or three invented things would have help the story a lot, specially if it talks about a woman whose personal life is not known with details, what means opportunity.
She is showed and I believe she was a manipulative wife, but the way she acted in the book is far of being entertaining and plausible, even I would say that is poorly done, for example in order to convince people she just tell them in one or two sentences I want this, let's do this, most of the time those things were not smart or wise and here is like "Eleonor we should not do that " and she is like " yes let's do it, will be good " and that's it, she got what she wanted, and not just from her husband, who to my surprise she doesn't even know how to talk to even after so many years of marriage, so there is a big lack of justification here, there is not way, she could get all what she did, being so passive and fool.
The book has missing some punctuations, I'm not picky for those things, but here many times the dialogues are not closed so I have to re read to understand, some points and other things are not there and was needed, still the book can be understood, yes without problem but it's something that could have been better.
There is not development in the story, and this is my main problem with the book, Eleonor is the same child when the story begins and when it ends, and let's not talk about her relationships, I wanted to read about her marriage, that was extremely good for the time, she was the lucky queen who got the faithful and kind king, I wanted to know about her live with him, and how they become so fond of each other, how they connected, how she made him so dependant of her, how she could kept him interested in her being she so young and with many woman surrounding him, how they managed the age difference, and that type of things, but there is nothing here, I never understood what type of relationship they had, what they had in commun, what they enjoy together, what made them so much close to each other, and I'm not talking only about good things, that's in all their story, save the two fights there is nothing else interesting in them as a couple, at the end there is not even clear the feelings they have towards each other, there is not a single scene romantic between them, and the same happens with Eleonor and her children, well in that sense the book is a bit better but still, I wished to read more about her as a mother, wife, sister and queen but nothing of those things is developed here, her son for example from one page to the next is a spoiled brat, ok I take it, but how come ?
The characters comes and goes without explanation, many of them, what annoyed me.
We don't have good transition of the time, we never know when the scene is set up or very rarely.
All in all I would say that the story is not bad, but honestly is not entertaining and that's the most important thing for me, at least in a novel.
This is a novel about the Henry's III Queen, Eleonor of provence, who is a very different and unique character in history, for different reasons, she was a child who grow up in a happy family, she lived like a princess, but her parents were poor and not extremely powerful, despite that, Eleonor was rised to be an educated woman too much for the time, and like her sister her potential as a beautiful and foreign noble was well used by her parents, who wanted their girls to be queens, her elder sister was queen of France and her younger sister was queen of the Romans, Eleonor at least in the novel was not pushed to any crown, she herself obsessed with English tales, found her way to present herself as a good option for England's crown, whose king Henry III was still single, thank to her audacity and skills to write poems she was successful, and ended up marrying Henry and becoming his queen, at that time she was less than 15 years and of course is very innocent of politics, is a sweet and pretty girl who just has to enjoy the attention and the gifts, but soon she realizes that her husband is a weak king and his court is full of wolfs that betray him again and again, Eleonor is very loved by her husband and thanks to that she gets all what she wants, what makes her to be a spoiled child, she uses that power to favour one or two members of her family, as far as I know she actually helped more people but the point is used in the novel, and with years passing Eleonor becomes more and more involved in the catastrophic government of her husband, her advices are far of being smart , but she still interfere not helping at all, of course we also see her life as a queen that was hated by her people, and a mother who truly loved all her children, of course this book covers the interesting moment in history when henry III basically lost his crown, and his brother in law Simon takes the power.
So yes this is an interesting tale, but I honestly thought that I was going to enjoy this book more than I did, I will start saying that this book has three positive things that made me give 3 stars.
Is fast and easy to read.
The research is truly very good.
The way that the author fill the blanks works well.
Now all the things that I disliked:
It is written in first person but Eleonor feelings are not really expressed, just feels really deep when her daughter die, apart from that we don't know nothing of her heart, if she loves her husband, if she dislike something of him, if she feels disappointed of her mother, if she ever feels jealous, if she is afraid, if she feels guilty, sometimes the story tells the feeling but is not really there.
The book tells doesn't show, the quantity of dialogues is very very very less, with her husband she talks like 10 times in all the book, and they talk just about politics, in general the novel yes tells what happens, but doesn't show interesting scenes, save two or three.
The story most of time is flat and dry, it doesn't have those things that make you feel surprised, happy, or angry, is predictable even if you don't know the history, there is not creativity in the story, I like the accuracy but two or three invented things would have help the story a lot, specially if it talks about a woman whose personal life is not known with details, what means opportunity.
She is showed and I believe she was a manipulative wife, but the way she acted in the book is far of being entertaining and plausible, even I would say that is poorly done, for example in order to convince people she just tell them in one or two sentences I want this, let's do this, most of the time those things were not smart or wise and here is like "Eleonor we should not do that " and she is like " yes let's do it, will be good " and that's it, she got what she wanted, and not just from her husband, who to my surprise she doesn't even know how to talk to even after so many years of marriage, so there is a big lack of justification here, there is not way, she could get all what she did, being so passive and fool.
The book has missing some punctuations, I'm not picky for those things, but here many times the dialogues are not closed so I have to re read to understand, some points and other things are not there and was needed, still the book can be understood, yes without problem but it's something that could have been better.
There is not development in the story, and this is my main problem with the book, Eleonor is the same child when the story begins and when it ends, and let's not talk about her relationships, I wanted to read about her marriage, that was extremely good for the time, she was the lucky queen who got the faithful and kind king, I wanted to know about her live with him, and how they become so fond of each other, how they connected, how she made him so dependant of her, how she could kept him interested in her being she so young and with many woman surrounding him, how they managed the age difference, and that type of things, but there is nothing here, I never understood what type of relationship they had, what they had in commun, what they enjoy together, what made them so much close to each other, and I'm not talking only about good things, that's in all their story, save the two fights there is nothing else interesting in them as a couple, at the end there is not even clear the feelings they have towards each other, there is not a single scene romantic between them, and the same happens with Eleonor and her children, well in that sense the book is a bit better but still, I wished to read more about her as a mother, wife, sister and queen but nothing of those things is developed here, her son for example from one page to the next is a spoiled brat, ok I take it, but how come ?
The characters comes and goes without explanation, many of them, what annoyed me.
We don't have good transition of the time, we never know when the scene is set up or very rarely.
All in all I would say that the story is not bad, but honestly is not entertaining and that's the most important thing for me, at least in a novel.
January 13, 2017
A very good and interesting book.
As the author said, little is known about the life of Eleanor of Provence, so I'm guessing this book about her, although fiction, is probably about as comprehensive as it's going to get.
Henry lll, Edward l and Simon de Monfort we all know about, but the women of those times seem to have taken a back seat so to speak, barring the odd really exceptional ones like Eleanor of Aquitaine.
On the whole I really enjoyed this book, and for historical fiction it's quite fast paced. Sometimes books like these can get bogged down with too much unnecessary padding, but this one kept my interest right to the end.
As the author said, little is known about the life of Eleanor of Provence, so I'm guessing this book about her, although fiction, is probably about as comprehensive as it's going to get.
Henry lll, Edward l and Simon de Monfort we all know about, but the women of those times seem to have taken a back seat so to speak, barring the odd really exceptional ones like Eleanor of Aquitaine.
On the whole I really enjoyed this book, and for historical fiction it's quite fast paced. Sometimes books like these can get bogged down with too much unnecessary padding, but this one kept my interest right to the end.
September 16, 2018
Good book of one of the forgotten Queens of England
This book had answered for me who was Edward Longshank's mother. The story, like all from this time period, tried to stick to what facts are known and of course there are parts that are made up. Eleanor is shown as a intelligent woman and that she loved her husband and did her best to deal with what fate gave her. At time the story drags a bit but overall it was a very well written story. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoys these types of historical fictional stories written by this author or by Jean Pladily.
This book had answered for me who was Edward Longshank's mother. The story, like all from this time period, tried to stick to what facts are known and of course there are parts that are made up. Eleanor is shown as a intelligent woman and that she loved her husband and did her best to deal with what fate gave her. At time the story drags a bit but overall it was a very well written story. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoys these types of historical fictional stories written by this author or by Jean Pladily.
November 13, 2018
Interesting Romance
Not knowing about the history of this Queen Eleanor, I found this story to be interesting, not only for the romance written in first person, but also for the history. The characters were realistic, including a king whose talents directed him towards building rather than fighting the wars he was called upon to wage. Eleanor was also a great character, called on to bolster and guide her husband in an age where women were considered insignificant. An excellent read.
Not knowing about the history of this Queen Eleanor, I found this story to be interesting, not only for the romance written in first person, but also for the history. The characters were realistic, including a king whose talents directed him towards building rather than fighting the wars he was called upon to wage. Eleanor was also a great character, called on to bolster and guide her husband in an age where women were considered insignificant. An excellent read.
December 14, 2019
Enjoyed this Historical Novel!
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel of a 13th century princess who was strong-willed & smart, although human. Will certainly seek other books by this author.
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel of a 13th century princess who was strong-willed & smart, although human. Will certainly seek other books by this author.
April 14, 2021
This is the first book I've read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Janet Reedman has created a believable fictional portrait of one of the lesser known women of medieval history.
Eleanor of Provence was married as a young girl to the much older Henry III of England. The marriage was surprisingly successful. Eleanor was a devoted wife and mother while Henry lavished wealth, lands and power onto his young wife and her family, actions which contributed to the resentment of the barons who later rose up in rebellion against him. The novel follows Eleanor through her girlhood, into marriage, through the dangers and intrigues of court life and into a peaceful retirement at Amesbury Priory.
The book is written in the first person from the viewpoint of Eleanor herself. I will admit at the outset that I’ve had this on my kindle for a long time, and that’s probably the reason I’ve taken so long to get around to it. I’m generally not fond of first person accounts of real historical characters, but this book proved a very welcome exception.
Ms Reedman is an excellent writer. The style is simple and effective, and she somehow manages to create a very clear voice for her subject. Eleanor comes across as a multi-faceted person, with faults as well as good points, but what is impressive is that somehow the writer manages to convey a strong sense of a young woman of wealth and privilege, with a touch of arrogance and more than a little vanity, and yet still makes her sympathetic. Eleanor is occasionally exasperating, but she comes across as likeable, affectionate and very intelligent. It’s no mean feat to achieve that all in the first person, without the help of secondary characters commenting on the action and I was impressed by how well Ms Reedman handled it.
The book gives the sense of being the product of a huge amount of research and the writer is very good at using it to tell her story and give a strong sense of time and place without leaving the reader drowning in facts. Secondary characters are well-drawn, particularly the enigmatic figure of Simon de Montfort. I enjoyed the ending, with the hint that Eleanor’s tomb might briefly have been rediscovered. As I write the Napoleonic era, I’m not in a position to pick apart the history, but I doubt I’d need to here, I think Ms Reedman knows her stuff.
This is a well-written, thoroughly enjoyable historical novel and comes highly recommended.
Eleanor of Provence was married as a young girl to the much older Henry III of England. The marriage was surprisingly successful. Eleanor was a devoted wife and mother while Henry lavished wealth, lands and power onto his young wife and her family, actions which contributed to the resentment of the barons who later rose up in rebellion against him. The novel follows Eleanor through her girlhood, into marriage, through the dangers and intrigues of court life and into a peaceful retirement at Amesbury Priory.
The book is written in the first person from the viewpoint of Eleanor herself. I will admit at the outset that I’ve had this on my kindle for a long time, and that’s probably the reason I’ve taken so long to get around to it. I’m generally not fond of first person accounts of real historical characters, but this book proved a very welcome exception.
Ms Reedman is an excellent writer. The style is simple and effective, and she somehow manages to create a very clear voice for her subject. Eleanor comes across as a multi-faceted person, with faults as well as good points, but what is impressive is that somehow the writer manages to convey a strong sense of a young woman of wealth and privilege, with a touch of arrogance and more than a little vanity, and yet still makes her sympathetic. Eleanor is occasionally exasperating, but she comes across as likeable, affectionate and very intelligent. It’s no mean feat to achieve that all in the first person, without the help of secondary characters commenting on the action and I was impressed by how well Ms Reedman handled it.
The book gives the sense of being the product of a huge amount of research and the writer is very good at using it to tell her story and give a strong sense of time and place without leaving the reader drowning in facts. Secondary characters are well-drawn, particularly the enigmatic figure of Simon de Montfort. I enjoyed the ending, with the hint that Eleanor’s tomb might briefly have been rediscovered. As I write the Napoleonic era, I’m not in a position to pick apart the history, but I doubt I’d need to here, I think Ms Reedman knows her stuff.
This is a well-written, thoroughly enjoyable historical novel and comes highly recommended.
April 9, 2020
In a way this was an interesting delve into medieval life, and there are many fantastic things just about that which I could wax lyrical about - anyone who's read my reviews knows how I love my history soapbox lol!
Still, there's something lacking in the writing, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it: the writing just doesn't set fireworks under me, or maybe it's just that I read it on my kindle and that's just not the same as having paper and ink in my hands, I'm not sure. I did enjoy this, a very sadly neglected part of Plantagenet history about which I have little knowledge: the son of King John, the great-grandson of William the conqueror (bastard, as he was known at the time), we should know more about life in his kingdom, which must have been a difficult one to rule, and that could be my issue: there's too much confusing political intrigue that doesn't involve Eleanor, and therefore we aren't party to, which just makes this a little dry in places where, if it were written from a servants point of view, we could have seen so much more of the inner workings of the court and the issues of the time x
Still, there's something lacking in the writing, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it: the writing just doesn't set fireworks under me, or maybe it's just that I read it on my kindle and that's just not the same as having paper and ink in my hands, I'm not sure. I did enjoy this, a very sadly neglected part of Plantagenet history about which I have little knowledge: the son of King John, the great-grandson of William the conqueror (bastard, as he was known at the time), we should know more about life in his kingdom, which must have been a difficult one to rule, and that could be my issue: there's too much confusing political intrigue that doesn't involve Eleanor, and therefore we aren't party to, which just makes this a little dry in places where, if it were written from a servants point of view, we could have seen so much more of the inner workings of the court and the issues of the time x
August 28, 2024
MY FAIR LADY: A STORY OF ELEANOR OF PROVENCE, HENRY III's LOST QUEEN by J.P. Reedman -- Do not confuse this title with MY FAIR LADY the musical. This is the historically fictionalized tale of Queen Eleanor of Provence, 13th century wife of King Henry III. Eleanor was born to a modest family and with her sisters, grew into a beautiful, desirable woman who was wed into the royal Plantagenet line. She came to love her husband, and he her, and bore a number of children including the future king. In matters of family, political relationships, and matters of state, Eleanor came to have strong opinions that she often exercised, sometimes without consulting her husband and to his great dismay. She was a strong force and exercised her position and influence as Queen of England up until her death. Lots of history, well researched, places, people, events, which at times lost me in the narrative. Nevertheless, a good read. I'm not sure what drew me to select this book.....perhaps it was its status as the first of a series entitled MEDIEVAL BABES.
May 12, 2021
A story of love, struggle and nostalgia
Eleanor of Provence is brought to life with this fantastical novel that also does justice to the other Provence sisters. It is hard to read a story written from a first person POV that mostly accurately captures the era and gives a multidimensional portrayal to the other important historical figures. Through Eleanor's eyes, we are history played out like the dark twisted fantasy it must have been for the Provencal daughter turned queen of England.
Towards the end of her life, there's nothing more for her but to look back at her life through the prism of the old Arthurian legends that fascinated her as a child. In this, she feels relatable because at one point in our lives, whether it is towards the end of when we we have lost someone important, we are taken hostage by nostalgia and begin to think of those old fantasies or special moments when everything seemed magical.
Eleanor of Provence is brought to life with this fantastical novel that also does justice to the other Provence sisters. It is hard to read a story written from a first person POV that mostly accurately captures the era and gives a multidimensional portrayal to the other important historical figures. Through Eleanor's eyes, we are history played out like the dark twisted fantasy it must have been for the Provencal daughter turned queen of England.
Towards the end of her life, there's nothing more for her but to look back at her life through the prism of the old Arthurian legends that fascinated her as a child. In this, she feels relatable because at one point in our lives, whether it is towards the end of when we we have lost someone important, we are taken hostage by nostalgia and begin to think of those old fantasies or special moments when everything seemed magical.
February 8, 2021
What a roller-coaster ride through turbulent times this was! I loved this book, was captivated by the story, and couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it! I loved the tantalising glimpse through the curtains of time that completely entranced me! The characters were brilliantly drawn - real, live people that showed me their story right in front of my eyes! The vivid description of the embattled King Henry and his ambitious wife Eleanor, their children, families, friends and enemies during the turbulent times in which they lived was spellbinding - I completely lost myself in their story! I love the Arthurian legend that pervades throughout this book, and the mystical magic that surrounds it. Reading this book has made the characters come to life for me, and watching and sharing their story was wonderful. I really didn’t want it to end!! Very highly recommended.
April 5, 2024
History comes alive
I am very impressed by Freeman's work. This telling of one of the early Queen Eleanor is masterful and satisfying. I never tire reading about the life and times of any royalty but I am always drawn to those of some of the more uncommon ladies, knowing the names and some of their history brings them to life and fuller drama than if we read only vague footnotes from some dusty historical study.
When we read these stories our own social norms and habits are brought into sharper perspective and given fresh evidence of the eternal struggle women will always face to prove ourselves as worthy of serious contenders for attention and power.
MS Freeman never disappoints my taste for history of a feminine perspective.
I absolutely recommend this book.
I am very impressed by Freeman's work. This telling of one of the early Queen Eleanor is masterful and satisfying. I never tire reading about the life and times of any royalty but I am always drawn to those of some of the more uncommon ladies, knowing the names and some of their history brings them to life and fuller drama than if we read only vague footnotes from some dusty historical study.
When we read these stories our own social norms and habits are brought into sharper perspective and given fresh evidence of the eternal struggle women will always face to prove ourselves as worthy of serious contenders for attention and power.
MS Freeman never disappoints my taste for history of a feminine perspective.
I absolutely recommend this book.
September 9, 2021
A great read for a historical novel.
Told in story form from the point of view of Eleanor who was betrothed to Henry III. The couple found happiness together in their arranged marriage.
Eleanor was an outspoken woman for the time, a wife, mother, grandmother and Queen. We follow her life as she lives through the politics of the time, the battles of war, treaties while she is always supportive of her husband and family.
I found this book to be a great read, the character of Eleanor and all the players in the novel came to life for me. It was also interesting in the factual historical aspects of the medieval age.
Told in story form from the point of view of Eleanor who was betrothed to Henry III. The couple found happiness together in their arranged marriage.
Eleanor was an outspoken woman for the time, a wife, mother, grandmother and Queen. We follow her life as she lives through the politics of the time, the battles of war, treaties while she is always supportive of her husband and family.
I found this book to be a great read, the character of Eleanor and all the players in the novel came to life for me. It was also interesting in the factual historical aspects of the medieval age.
November 12, 2023
I wanted to like this book so much! I had been looking at this author for awhile since they cover a lot of unknown ladies in history. Wanted to start with Eleanor of Provence because I knew nothing about her. Still don’t. This book is very dense, it felt like i was reading something in school again. (Been out for 12 years.) I don’t think I learned anything about Eleanor, first person perspectives in historical books are tricky and this didn’t work. It was hard to keep track of a time line because it would jump a lot and rarely would have a definitive date. I skimmed the last 40 pages, I just wanted it over with.
For book that’s been out a while too this still needs editing badly.
For book that’s been out a while too this still needs editing badly.
February 6, 2024
Eleanor was a boss babe!
I loved this story, which was an amazing account of Queen Eleanor of Provence! I hadn’t ever researched this particular Queen of England before, but I am so glad I stumbled upon this series! I can’t wait to read the next book! I loved learning about Queen Eleanor, and all of the ups and downs in her life, the author did an amazing job filling in the gaps that history left out as well as marking the small amount of historical events that we do know that happened during her lifetime. I highly recommend this series to anybody as fascinated with royalty during the medieval period as I am!
I loved this story, which was an amazing account of Queen Eleanor of Provence! I hadn’t ever researched this particular Queen of England before, but I am so glad I stumbled upon this series! I can’t wait to read the next book! I loved learning about Queen Eleanor, and all of the ups and downs in her life, the author did an amazing job filling in the gaps that history left out as well as marking the small amount of historical events that we do know that happened during her lifetime. I highly recommend this series to anybody as fascinated with royalty during the medieval period as I am!
July 3, 2023
I'm an avid reader of historical fiction. Given that, this was an ok read probably because the protagonist's life isn't quite as breathtaking as say, a Mary, Queen of Scots or an Elizabeth the first (not to mention Anne Boleyn!). Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear of one of the lesser-known Queens of England. I would have liked to have had more of an insight into Henry III's personality as he too is completely overshadowed in history by those that were to follow. The fact that names like Henry, Eleanor and Edward are a dime a dozen in English royalty doesn't help keep things straight in your head either! :)
July 23, 2024
Left me with questions...
So confusing for so many generations recycling the same names! At first, I was picturing this Eleanor as Katherine Hepburn until I realized that Eleanor had come before this one.
So was this Eleanor the mother of the despicable Longshanks? Her son Edward was described as quite tall, even as a boy.
Another thing that bugged me was how many people were buried with their hearts removed to be buried elsewhere. Kind of an odd practice for all the weird religious devotion and piety, isn't it?
So confusing for so many generations recycling the same names! At first, I was picturing this Eleanor as Katherine Hepburn until I realized that Eleanor had come before this one.
So was this Eleanor the mother of the despicable Longshanks? Her son Edward was described as quite tall, even as a boy.
Another thing that bugged me was how many people were buried with their hearts removed to be buried elsewhere. Kind of an odd practice for all the weird religious devotion and piety, isn't it?
August 1, 2024
Well Told Historical Novel About a Not Very Well Known Queen
Many have heard of Henry III of England, mostly that he was the son of the king who has the reputation of being England's worst king (King John), and, if you are not a Scot and totally disregard that entertaining but inaccurate piece of propaganda, "Braveheart," the father of England's best king, Edward I. However, what of his wife, Eleanor of Provence? Novels, even with imagination, can sometimes "fill in" the influence that unsung heroines had on not only their husbands but their sons.
Many have heard of Henry III of England, mostly that he was the son of the king who has the reputation of being England's worst king (King John), and, if you are not a Scot and totally disregard that entertaining but inaccurate piece of propaganda, "Braveheart," the father of England's best king, Edward I. However, what of his wife, Eleanor of Provence? Novels, even with imagination, can sometimes "fill in" the influence that unsung heroines had on not only their husbands but their sons.
March 1, 2020
3.75 stars
I found this story to be interesting but I feel this Queen (Edward Longshank's mother) has just not caught my imagination. The first half of the book held my attention, the second half was kind of rushed to me, the queen somehow turned into a cool and calculated person, the king turned to much incompetent (which is surely neither king nor son incapable), the father-son relationship somehow lacking ...But in any case interesting fiction..
I found this story to be interesting but I feel this Queen (Edward Longshank's mother) has just not caught my imagination. The first half of the book held my attention, the second half was kind of rushed to me, the queen somehow turned into a cool and calculated person, the king turned to much incompetent (which is surely neither king nor son incapable), the father-son relationship somehow lacking ...But in any case interesting fiction..
November 17, 2020
Fairly okay
Fairly well written, but there are a number of historical references, yo events or to people, that should have been filled in more as they were unknown to me ( and I'm a history buff!), which made some parts of the action hard to follow. But it wasn't dull, and nicely written.
Fairly well written, but there are a number of historical references, yo events or to people, that should have been filled in more as they were unknown to me ( and I'm a history buff!), which made some parts of the action hard to follow. But it wasn't dull, and nicely written.
August 7, 2022
5 Stars
I hadn't realized I knew so little of this lost Queen. It's true there aren't many books with her story in it as some of the other queens. But she had many attributes that deserve to be recognized and Reedman sheds light on all of them in this story. I enjoyed reading about her and was sad it was over. 5 Stars
I hadn't realized I knew so little of this lost Queen. It's true there aren't many books with her story in it as some of the other queens. But she had many attributes that deserve to be recognized and Reedman sheds light on all of them in this story. I enjoyed reading about her and was sad it was over. 5 Stars
August 28, 2022
I enjoyed this book, and it seems very well researched, especially because not much is known about the women of this time period. It did have quite a lot of typos, but overall it was an enjoyable story. It was a bit difficult to keep track of all the characters, although that is to be expected with many of them having overlapping names. 3.5***
December 11, 2022
While I cannot claim to know very much of English history, I loved reading the book. It was extremely interesting to read & an extremely enjoyable book. Well written & obviously very well researched. My compliments to the Author for a eye opening peek into a small but significant part of the history of England's rulers.
Captain Dady J Mody
Captain Dady J Mody
September 3, 2018
A struggle...
I struggled to get into this book. The characters weren’t very likable or relatable. I know it’s historical fiction and maybe the author was trying to be more “historical” than “fictional” but I just didn’t enjoy it enough.
I struggled to get into this book. The characters weren’t very likable or relatable. I know it’s historical fiction and maybe the author was trying to be more “historical” than “fictional” but I just didn’t enjoy it enough.
April 7, 2020
Love this author
This author just knows how to tell a great story. I have read Jean Plaidy's books, which one included Eleanor of Provence, but it's still a great read. I have read several other books by this author and have enjoyed them all.
This author just knows how to tell a great story. I have read Jean Plaidy's books, which one included Eleanor of Provence, but it's still a great read. I have read several other books by this author and have enjoyed them all.
January 30, 2021
J.P. Freedman does her research. I enjoyed this book in large part due to her ability to blend history with fiction. Her books are believable and engaging without devolving into a lecture. I hope some day to see her work adapted for television.
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