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Elizabeth Chadwick


Booknutt

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We don't seem to have a specific Elizabeth Chadwick topic hereabouts - which'd be a handy chatting place for her readers - so here it is, folks.

 

This lady has a impressive "library" of historical novels published at the moment, so :welcome:here, fellow fans :smile:.

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I'm into "The Time of Singing" at the moment, which I borrowed from the local Library - and found a paperback I have of it, too.
A definite signal from Fate that it's time to get into this story. :)

It's based on the true story of Ida de Toscny a mistress of Henry II, and her eventual-husband Roger Bigod with of course their up and down journey to happiness. I love the way E.C. fills in the smaller details of her true-based stories - much like Ida (who loves embroidery) would plan and stitch one of her own projects.

My overall favourite is still "The Wild Hunt" the very first novel - but I've been drawn straight into this one, so time will tell.

What about your own favouite or current Chadwick?

Edited by Booknutt
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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't we just love to return to days of yore and have a good wallow? :readingtwo:

 

I'm into "Shields of Pride" presently, an early Chadwick. Not as detailed as her later books, but still a great read.

 

Keep the faith, gals and guys. - these are novels we can all read.

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  • 1 month later...

If you're interested in Brit. History K, you might enjoy her books on the life of William Marshall - who virtually ran the country for a while! That's "The Greatest Knight", "The Scarlet Lion" and "To Defy a King". One of the things I think good about them is they're a great "read" for man or woman .... and it's a rare author who can please both genders. :smile:

 

If you just feel like a well-told story try - "The Wild Hunt", "Running Vixen" and "Leopard Unleashed" her first three novels, which are still high on my own favourite list, and nicely romantic.

 

Enjoy! You've found a great author. :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you're interested in Brit. History K, you might enjoy her books on the life of William Marshall - who virtually ran the country for a while! That's "The Greatest Knight", "The Scarlet Lion" and "To Defy a King". One of the things I think good about them is they're a great "read" for man or woman .... and it's a rare author who can please both genders. :smile:

 

If you just feel like a well-told story try - "The Wild Hunt", "Running Vixen" and "Leopard Unleashed" her first three novels, which are still high on my own favourite list, and nicely romantic.

 

Enjoy! You've found a great author. :D

 

Quite agree with the three you mentioned Booknutt re William Marshall. Great books.

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  • 3 months later...

"To Defy a King" is my latest Chadwick.

 

Sequel to "A Time of Singing" and it's fun to read about the now-older Ida and Roger being parents and in-laws to the lively Mahlet, (daughter to William Marshall) married to their son, Hugh.  

 

The trouble is that Mahlet's youth is a barrier to the full consummation of their marriage yet, so although they both live in the same household, the "oldies" are keeping a firm eye on the efforts of the kids as they "woo" each other! :smile:

It was a good idea for a young girl to live with her in-laws for a few years, to get used to her new household before she took full charge, but frustrating for the youngsters if there was an actual attraction there. That was quite rare in marriages of the time - they were more business arrangements with both parties "doing their duty".

 

Another lovely "read" from a great Chadwick Library.

 

Which one are you :readingtwo: ?

 

.   

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  • 3 weeks later...

Very much enjoyed "To Defy a King" - and who wouldn't "defy" the rotter which King John was as he tried to remove even more wealth from his subjects by force?   For a people who very much had God in their minds and in their everyday lives back then, it was a bit of a cheek hiding some of their valuables in monastries and nunneries! Crafty, though. :smile:  

 

It's a shame that the the marriage of Roger and Ida became such a sham, I thought. Poor old Ida never really stopped mourning the "loss" of her royal son, Longspree, left behind at Court when he was a baby.

 

That's something we love about Chadwick novels isn't it? The mixture and flow of emotions, the reality of life.

 

Great Stuff.

 

Moving on this weekend to "Lords of the White Castle". Another book based on the lives of actual historical characters.

 

Has anyone read it?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just collected "The Summer Queen" the latest of E.C. from the library. Perfect reading for our "heatwave"/downpour Summer. :smile:

 

This is the first of a trilogy about the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a fascinating lady of her own age, and even this one.

 

Has anyone else read or reading this too?

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I recently got The Time of Singing from our library, I love historical fiction and this is the first Elizabeth Chadwick I've read - I've been more of a Philippa Gregory girl up until now.

 

I enjoyed it and liked the character of Ida - although the rate she can pop out children is quite impressive!

 

I'm snowed under with other recommendations (I'm a Game of Thrones, fantasy kinda girl) and some reading for my Literature course but I'm going to try some more Chadwick once I've read those.  :smile:

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  • 1 month later...

If you're interested in Brit. History K, you might enjoy her books on the life of William Marshall - who virtually ran the country for a while! That's "The Greatest Knight", "The Scarlet Lion" and "To Defy a King". One of the things I think good about them is they're a great "read" for man or woman .... and it's a rare author who can please both genders. :smile:

 

 

 

What a great story,and her work on the detail and preciseness on history is excellent. After reading The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion, I did a search and was amazed at just that alone.

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It's so easy to become a Chadwick fan, isn't ? - she's so good! :smile:

 

I've got my eye on "The Conquest" for my next :readingtwo: having just bought a nice crispy new copy to replace the smellie old thing I had before!

 

Has anyone else read "The Summer Queen" yet? It was very interesting to find out about the early life of Eleanor, and the two daughters from her marriage to Louis, who she had to leave behind on her divorce. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's so easy to become a Chadwick fan, isn't ? - she's so good! :smile:

 

I've got my eye on "The Conquest" for my next :readingtwo: having just bought a nice crispy new copy to replace the smellie old thing I had before!

 

Has anyone else read "The Summer Queen" yet? It was very interesting to find out about the early life of Eleanor, and the two daughters from her marriage to Louis, who she had to leave behind on her divorce. 

Bought this on Sunday. :)

 

How many books  are in the Marshall story? I am lost,lol

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  • 2 months later...

The three "Marshall" books  which come immediately to mind are The Greatest Knight, The Scarlet Lion and To Defy a King, Wipples.

 

I'd suggest starting with Greaest Knight which introduces William as a penniless youngster, Scarlet Lion next, as here he's married, and establishing a family, and Defy covers his daughter Mahelt, and the family problems in general under wicked King John.  There's mentions in some other novels too. 

 

What about visiting Elzabeth Chadwick's website for more info? www.elizabethchadwick.com  

 

Had a chance to get to The Summer Queen yet? I found the young Eleanor of Aquitaine very interesting.    

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  • 1 year later...

I'm really pleased to find a thread for this author.  There is another Marshal book, a sort of prequel about John, who was William's dad and is also fascinating, in fact this is my favourite of her books so far, it's called "A Place Beyond Courage". 

 

I've read "The Greatest Knight" and "The Scarlet Lion", and also "The Time of Singing", all of which I enjoyed although I think TSL is my favourite of these books.

 

I read "Shadows and Strongholds" earlier this year and that was another good read, I have all of her books and am gradually getting through them! 

 

This is my favourite period of history.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

I'm just at the looking for my next read stage. It's a time I really don't like as I scrabble through my TBR pile trying to choose!

 

Between ourselves, I do feel the pull from "The Love Knot" tugging at me, I've read it before, but do like the sprinkling of herbalist "magic" which is a theme of the story. Nice to learn something of daily life back then, isn't it? Just another EC skill that brings us back for more.

 

Happy reading, all ... whatever your choice is.

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  • 6 months later...

I've just finished The Marsh King's Daughter and loved it.  It's one of her older, more romantic novels, but it's romantic without being too soppy, and the hero and heroine are great, although I thought the villain was pretty stereo-typical, and there were no surprises as to how it would end.  But a very entertaining, enjoyable read, I loved it and raced through it.  Most of the characters are fictional although a few did exist, and the basis of the book - the loss of King John's treasure off the coast of Norfolk/Lincolnshire - really did happen.

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