Synopses & Reviews
From the author of "Several Deceptions and "London Bridges, The Winter Queen is a stunning historical novel in the tradition of A. S. Byatt. Rose Tremain, and Dorothy Dunnett. Confirming her place as a major new literary talent of astonishing range, Jane Stevenson takes us to the Netherlands of the seventeenth century in this first novel in a trilogy. "Deploying a remarkable depth of knowledge with offhand grace" ("New York Times Book Review), Stevenson gives us an immensely moving account of a strange and magical interracial love affair. Amid the dark ambiance of the time, the exiled Elizabeth of Bohemia and Pelagius, a West African prince and former slave, meet, fall in love, and secretly marry. The "complex, touching, and beautifully described passion between these two worldly wise, middle-aged royals" ("Newsday) plays out against a historical backdrop enriched with descriptions of the art, philosophy, and religion of the Dutch Golden Age. "Stevenson's radiant prose shines a beam into a vanished world" ("Times).
Synopsis
An immensely moving account of a strange and magical interracial love affair,The Winter Queen illuminates the Netherlands of the seventeenth century. Amid the dark ambiance of the time, the exiled Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia and Pelagius, a West African prince and former slave, fall in love and secretly marry. With great erudition and compassion, Jane Stevenson vividly renders both a portrait of an extraordinary relationship and a tumultuous political history. Set against a historical backdrop enriched with the art, philosophy, and religion of the Dutch Golden Age, "scene succeeds scene in Vermeer-like richness of color" (Memphis Commercial Appeal).
About the Author
JANE STEVENSON was born in London and brought up in London, Beijing, and Bonn. She teaches literature and history at the University of Aberdeen. She is the author of Several Deceptions, a collection of four novellas; a novel, London Bridges; and the acclaimed historical trilogy made up of the novels The Winter Queen, The Shadow King, and The Empress of the Last Days. Stevenson lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.