The Secret Eleanor - by Cecelia Holland (Paperback)

About the Book

Describes the secret affair between Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife to Louis VII and Queen of France, and Henry D'Anjou, son of a duke and in line for the British throne.

Book Synopsis

Eleanor of Aquitaine seized hold of life in the 12th century in a way any modern woman would envy!

1151: As Duchess of Aquitaine, Eleanor grew up knowing what it was to be regarded for herself and not for her husband's title. Now, as wife to Louis VII and Queen of France, she has found herself unsatisfied with reflected glory-and feeling constantly under threat, even though she outranks every woman in Paris.

Then, standing beside her much older husband in the course of a court ceremony, Eleanor locks eyes with a man-hardly more than a boy, really- across the throne room, and knows that her world has changed irrevocably...

He is Henry D'Anjou, eldest son of the Duke of Anjou, and he is in line, somewhat tenuously, for the British throne. She meets him in secret. She has a gift for secrecy, for she is watched like a prisoner by spies even among her own women. She is determined that Louis must set her free. Employing deception and disguise, seduction and manipulation, Eleanor is determined to find her way to power-and make her mark on history.

Review Quotes

"Cecelia Holland moves through history like a sorceress with a time machine." - Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Holland remains in the front rank of the genre." - Chicago Sun-Times

"Miss Holland exhibits sure command of her material, a rich imagination, and a precision of tone that is equaled by few writers." - The New York Times

"[An] intelligently and lushly developed saga...moves with great energy but without neglecting rich detail; the dim past springs to buoyant and believable life." - Booklist

About the Author

Cecelia Holland is the author of more than 30 novels, including The Secret Eleanor and The King's Watch. She lives in northern California, where she teaches creative writing.