Featured Medieval Historical Fiction Novel: Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett
Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (March 24, 2009)
ISBN-10: 006168984X
Editorial Reviews from Publishers Weekly:
During the idyllic post–War of the Roses reign of Edward IV, two daughters of a wealthy merchant take divergent roads to success and power in Bennett’s solid historical. Isabel, widowed young, resolves to pursue her mother-in-law’s silk business. Isabel’s sister, Jane, becomes Edward’s third mistress, a position of comfort, though lacking in security. Isabel finds a lover of her own in Edward’s brother, Richard, duke of Gloucester. When Edward dies suddenly and Richard makes a grab for the throne, the sisters must make difficult choices to ensure their survival. Bennett immerses readers at once in Yorkist England, and while the narrative favors the dynamic Isabel over the flirtatious Jane, it’s easy to root for them both. Readers of historical fiction will be pleased with Bennett’s sure-handed storytelling. (Apr.)
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Editorial Review from School Library Journal:
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 15th-century London, this latest from Bennett (Portrait of an Unknown Woman) centers on the lives of two very different sisters. Beautiful, flighty, and bored with her new husband, Jane Shore quickly catches the eye of the newly crowned Edward IV. Her younger sister, Isabel, follows a different path when she marries into the house of Claver, one of England’s finest silk-trading enterprises. When tragedy strikes, Isabel finds herself playing an unexpected role in the family business and discovers a new life among the city’s silk women and wealthy merchant class. Additionally, a chance encounter with a charismatic stranger forces Isabel to decide where her love and loyalties ultimately lie. Mysterious, romantic, turbulent, and rich in historic detail, Bennett’s engrossing story of medieval England during the War of the Roses should appeal to fans of Sharon Kay Penman and Tracy Chevalier. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.]—Makiia Lucier, Moscow, ID
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Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval History, Historical Fiction on July 31st, 2009
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