Tapestry

I'll admit - I read historical romances for fun because I love history and I love a good story. Rarely do I find one that I would ever give five stars to, though. This book was amazing. I read it in 1993 when it first came out and I just finished rereading it. This has got to be one of the best Maura Seger books out there. It is set in England about 11 years after the Battle of Hastings. Unlike many medieval romances, this one really seems to capture the spirit of its time. The reader sees the emotions of the English and the Normans with regard to the Conquest and the uneasy acceptance of Norman rule is shown through the thoughts and actions not just of the governing Normans, but of English church officials, former warriors and others. The story is effectively told partly in the third person and partly through a narrative written by the heroine Aveline in her convent as she labors over the Bayeaux tapestry. Flashbacks to the actual events leading up to Conquest are also helpful. They give depth to the main characters and show some of the ambiguities of the actual Conquest of England of which most readers are probably not aware. The relationship between the English ward of a convent and the Norman official who oversees her work is convincingly and beautifully told. Some romance readers may complain about the lack of steamy sex scenes, but personally I don't consider that a defect. I'd rather have a good romantic story driven by intricate plotting rather than sex any day!