Originally published in 1955, Eleanor the Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Norah Lofts is a novel of the life of the woman who was queen of England and France and mother to men of legend. It is a simply written book and made for a pleasant day’s reading. The story surrounding Eleanor of Aquitaine is one that is fantastic and hard to believe that it is based on some historical fact. What Norah Lofts did so well with her character is not only weave this brilliant woman into all the tales surrounding her, but she made Eleanor a strong and intelligent woman in the process. This book did not deal with court intrigue, there were no secret meetings with lovers. Mostly it dealt with Eleanor’s frustrations trying to communicate with the men in her life and her difficulty at being taken seriously.

To give you a little idea of who Eleanor of Aquitaine is, as I wasn’t really aware when I picked up the book, she was the married to the King of England and mother to King Richard the Lionheart and this book took place during the 12th century during the time when the crusades were popular. If you are still wondering, she also had a young son named John. Still no clues … think man in green tights … still not getting it … yep … she’s the mother of the King during time of the legend of Robin Hood.

Overall, if you are interested in a simple, quick, and rather easy read about a fascinating character in early British history this is a pretty good book to pick up. ( )

http://shelfandstuff.blogspot.com/2007/06/eleanor-queen-by-norah-lofts.html ( )