Synopses & Reviews
"Holland refashions the venerable French legend of Roderick the Beardless into a fantastical medieval adventure . . . . A potent blend of action, suspense, romance, and history." —
BooklistIn the dark and bloody days of the Ninth Century, a courageous young woman took the guise of a gallant warrior to preserve the precious legacy of the past, and protect her people from destruction. Here is a bold retelling of one of Europes greatest sagas, by one of the worlds most acclaimed historical novelists.
“A glance at the field of historical novels proves that Cecelia Holland has no competition . . . . Her books have an eternal and dreamlike quality (though also trim, taut, and tough), and her gift is for understatement, for presenting the bones of a monumental story and allowing her readers to infer the pain and pleasure of it.” —Philadelphia Inquirer
Synopsis
In the dark and bloody days of the Ninth Century, a courageous young woman took the guise of a gallant warrior to preserve the precious legacy of the past, and protect her people from destruction. Here is a bold retelling of one of Europe's greatest sagas, by one of the world's most acclaimed historical novelists.
About the Author
Cecelia Holland has been writing since she was 12, and spends a good deal of every day writing. She chose to write historical fiction, because, being 12, she had precious few stories of her own, and history seemed to her then, as it still does, an endless fund of material.
She was encouraged to write by the poet William Meredith and the short story writer David Jackson. Her first novel was The Firedrake, and it was published by Atheneum in 1966. Since then, Cecelia has written a lot, read a lot, and raised three daughters. She lived in northern California, in the country. Once a week, she teaches creative writing at Pelican Baystate Prison in Crescent City, and, every day, she takes care of a small menagerie of little animals.