"With her eye for historical detail and flair for sympathetic heroines,Francesca Stanfill breathes new life into the medieval court of Eleanor of Aquitaine.The Falcons Eyesis a novel of epic proportions that succeeds in being both intimate and vast. History is Stanfills canvas, humanity her inspiration."Amanda Foreman, bestselling author ofGeorgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
Stanfill has persuasively re-imagined the Middle Ages, surrounding the legendary Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine with indelible characters in an immersive tale of intrigue, bravery, ruthlessness, and compassion. . . .The Falcons Eyesis a dazzling adventure, with riveting twists and turns and a surprising yet deeply satisfying conclusion."Sally Bedell Smith, author ofElizabeth the Queen
Set in France and England at the end of the twelfth century, the moving story of a spirited,questingyoung woman, Isabelle, who defies convention to forge a remarkable life, one profoundly influenced by the fabled queen she idolizes and comes to know Eleanor of Aquitaine
Willful and outspoken, sixteen-year-old Isabelleyearns to escape herstiflinglife inprovincial twelfthcentury France. The bane of her mothers existence, she admires the notorious queen most in her circle abhor: Eleanor of Aquitaine. Isabelles arranged marriage to Gerard --- a rich, charismatic lordobsessed withfalcons --- seems, at first, to fulfill herlongingfor adventure. But as Gerards controlling nature, andhis consuming desire fora male heir, become more apparent, Isabelle, in the spirit of her royal heroine, makes bold, often perilous, decisionswhich will forever affect her fate.
A suspenseful, sweeping tale about marriage, freedom, identity, and motherhood, THE FALCONS EYES brings alive not only a brilliant century and thelegendary queen who dominated it, but alsothe vivid band of complex characters whom the heroine encounters on her journey to selfhood: noblewomen, nuns, servants, falconers, and courtiers. The various settings Chteau Ravinour, Fontevraud Abbey, and Queen Eleanors exiled court in England are depicted asmemorably as those who inhabitthem. The story pulses forward as Isabelle confronts one challenge, one danger, after another, until it hurtles to its final, enthralling, page.
With the historical understanding of Hillary Mantel and the storytelling gifts of Ken Follett, Francesca Stanfill has created an unforgettable character who, while firmly rooted in her era,is also a woman for all times.
