Customer Reviews

The Queen's Daughter

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a major fan of historical fiction, and this story, told in clear, vivid prose, would not let go of me. We follow Joan, daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Henry II, and sister of Richard the Lionhearted, from her childhood to her mid-twenties, as she tries to find not only love but in a sense her true self. She is torn this way and that by the strife between her parents, her favorite brother, Richard, and her other brothers. People who have seen the film THE LION IN WINTER will remember this was a hugely dysfunctional family with mammoth personalities. Here they come to life, with fascinating human complexity intact, seen through Joan's eyes. Eleanor in particular exerts an enormous influence over Joan. Among other things, she tells her that only a fool loves her husband.

In Joan, the author has created a believable and likable heroine. We watch her grow from girl to woman. At an early age, she is sent away from England to enter an arranged royal marriage. Will she find happiness with her new husband and in her role as queen of Sicily? The pull of Joan's original family remains strong. She ultimately goes on the Crusades and most dauntingly comes to an independent view of her mother and her adored brother, Richard.

This might be a surprisingly easy story for all too many modern young people to relate to. Joan starts out caught between two estranged, sometimes literally warring parents. Loving one of them seems like a betrayal of the other. The book has love, drama, and action, and gives the reader a multihued picture of the times. I read it in just a couple of days because I came to care so much about the heroine. I strongly recommend this book to both adults and teens.

I've been trying to get my hands on this book for six months or more. Yeah, really. How many people would hold out that long for a book unless they REALLY wanted to read it. Well, after reading the description on Amazon and the reviews (not to mention being something of a historical fiction and YA fiction fan), I knew that The Queen's Daughter was the book for me. It seemed to have virtually everything I enjoy in a good historical -not to mention the Eleanor of Aquitaine connections, which always interest me. But, I could never seem to find it anywhere. My local library didn't have it. It was never at any Half Price Book location I visited. And, believe it or not, whenever I set foot in a Barnes & Noble, I couldn't ever find it. After coming into some Amazon gift cards, I decided it was finally time to invest in the book online.

In The Queen's Daughter, author Susan Coventry explores the life of Joan, the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England with a YA-style approach. From a young age, Joan feels the pull of court politics, as well as the "taint" placed on her mother for divorcing (completely against the social conventions of the time) her first husband, King Louis of France, and marrying the up-and-coming Henry of Anjou (later king of England). Even worse, Joan must survive the strife between her mother and father as Henry's affections begin to wander. As soon as a deal can be made, Joan is sent to marry the king of Sicily, and thrown into yet another web of politics.

I guess I have mixed feelings about this book. It feels like Coventry did a good job of portraying the period accurately and so forth (I don't know that much about Joan, so it's not like I even know the history) and her prose is solid, but it just didn't stand up to my expectations for the book. Perhaps I had unreachable expectations, but I just wanted more from it. The biggest thing is that the characters were weak. They never really came alive on the page for me, and even seemed to get more distant as the story went on. Sadly, even Joan never felt realistic, sympathetic or well, anything, beyond just a line in a book. I think this caused the biggest issue for me, as a reader who really enjoys characters who I can really invest in, Queen's Daughter just didn't have that. I never really felt like I had a clear entry point for the story, so I was not able to become fully part of everything.

I know -I'm picky, but when there are so many books out there, many of which I've read, you can be a little picky. I think that Coventry has some great ideas here and I like the topic she chose to approach, but I think she needs to work on her characterization more. Weak characters seriously inhibited my ability to really enjoy this book, and I wish I had gotten more out of it.

This is a delicious read for lovers of Medieval history. For the more ignorant, however, a list of characters and a couple of maps would be a nice addition in the next edition.

The quality of writing kept me glued to a story that tells of a time when life's options, especially for women, were few. Joan, the Queen of Aquitane's daughter, is torn between her love for quarreling parents and squabbling brothers. Besides that, she's a political pawn, married off while still a child, to the king of Sicily. It's a loveless, unproductive marriage, but Joan matures into a strong, politically savy woman. Her outlook is a product of her times, her upbringing. I found myself rooting for her as she gradually transformed and found what she valued most.

Looking for a good historical fiction novel? Joan wasn't born to make her own decisions, much of her life had already been mapped out. When she has to marry a much older man, Joan remains resilient. Her childhood may be behind her, but she is loathe to forget about her first infatuation. The reader will enjoy following Joan from when she is very young all the way through to her thirties. The reader will find that Joan is an easy character to connect to and sympathize with. Joan has her flaws, but she is also brave, compassionate, and strong.

When Joan married her husband, she technically left her family behind. She has a hard time choosing between her husband's and family's little arguments, there really isn't any correct choice. Joan is one of those rare strong female characters. She does try to stand up for what she believes is right, even in a time where it was difficult for females to do so. Her husband is rigid and unyielding in many situations, but the reader will hope he appreciates his unique wife at least a little. Joan's family restrains her and prefers her to act like a lady and let them make all of the decisions. The reader will enjoy getting to know all of the characters, however, and placing them within the historical timeline he/she knows.

The author remains as true to history as possible. The reader should appreciate the realistic way the events, thoughts, and actions of the people of that time were portrayed. The events were mostly cohesive, the reader should not have a hard time following the plot and knowing who is who. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.

Joan's parents, Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry of England, are each trying to win the princess over. After years and years of fighting, Eleanor and Henry carry an animosity towards one another that no one can miss. They discover what a useful pawn their seven-year-old daughter Joan is, and frequently use her to their advantage. But when circumstances make it convenient for Joan to marry King William of Sicily, a man ten years her senior, Joan's life is about to become the hardest it's ever been.
______________________________________________

My thoughts -
I found this story surprisingly dark. The kind of dark that involves heartbreak, illness, death, war, and suffering. No matter which way you look at it, Joan's life was sad. I also found this book surprisingly good. No the greatest book ever, just solid and secure. I don't often read historical fiction, and usually when I do it's for the story, not the history. But this one was different; I came in with no expectations and enjoyed everything about it, including the history parts, even when I felt a bit confused by so many quick historical facts, details and updates. I started reading this book at a faster pace than I'd recommend. I'd like to read it again, slower, to get all the details I may have missed.

The writing was excellent (after finishing it I went and wrote 3,000 words of my own story on a high), and the characters were so well done it was like I knew them...had known them for years.

Character notes -
For one, Joan had my attention with the first words she spoke. She was immediately alive and real. As the story continued on, I watched as Joan grew from a 7-year-old playing with dolls to a 10-year-old engaged to a 22-year-old. Then she became a woman at 14 and a widow at 25. The rest, I won't say. You'll have to see for yourself. But in any case, Joan became like a life-long friend. I had lived life for 25 years through her eyes. Her bravery and courage alone were enough to like her, and her kind heart made me love her. I also pitied her, knowing she could do nothing about her situation. But she forged on, making the best, even when things were hard.

My favorite character had a small role throughout the story, and had his main role toward the end. Lord Raymond... While there is no Perfect Prince Charming in this story, there is a Count, and he is charming, despite his imperfections. The end scenes with him in it made me giggle - he's so wonderful.

That's one thing I greatly appreciated about this book. There was no romanticizing things. Down to the last character, everyone had a flaw, and most of them affected the story greatly. Lord Raymond liked to throw his good looks and charms around too much, and William neglected his duties. Constance had a dirty secret. Eleanor was a heartless woman, despite her beauty. Richard made brash decisions. Real people were not downplayed and made into perfect, selfless people without a care in the world. That is probably the best thing about this book.

Story notes -
Just like the characters, the real life in this story is not dumbed down into fairy tale wonderland. Not in the slightest. In a world with meager medical assistance, warlords wanting to be king of all, and stupid and sad marriage customs, this story can be...heavy...at times. It weighed on my heart most of the time; I found myself sickened by Joan's parents' willingness to marry her off. "He'll probably wait till your courses come before trying for an heir, but if he comes to your bed before then it wont be a sin," was basically the theme for young girls handed over into marriage. Sick. Sick sick sick. This is real life, though, and while our society's problems are much different, we still have them, all the same.

Still, in the midst of all of Joan's hardships and shames and struggles, there is happiness. And while her happy moments are few, they were perfect for the story, without a question. And then end. The end was perfect in every single way. I couldn't have asked for anything better. What a great way to show how hard work and courage pay off. (And I must say, while I sometimes like tragic endings, I felt like this book needed a somewhat happy ending for all its hardships...I can't say I was disappointed.)

Summing it up -
The word trust is what comes to mind as I think back on the story. This book is about Joan's journey to trust. She was abused her whole life, and finally finding a friend or two to trust was a miracle to Joan. Every which way she looked, someone would do something terrible, making it hard for Joan to look to anyone for help. But in the end, she was rewarded for her perseverance, as she should be. It was a sat story with a touching end, satisfying and beautiful in every way.

For the parents -
Recommended to ages 16+. Two quick uses of GD. Sexual content, while not graphic or even detailed, is still there, just like every other nitty-gritty detail of Joan's life. This book doesn't just reference to her husband's visits to her bed, but they're not full sex scenes either. The details are sparing, but you get that she's either in pain or annoyed or just plain unhappy. Later, when she marries a man who truly loves her, he makes a comment as to how he can't wait to undress her. He is gentle with her and doesn't force her when she claims it will hurt, since she's only ever been hurt. Quick references to the night before. Aside from Joan, men's young lovers are often mentioned, and one male character is having a passionate affair with his aunt! :/

Joan was born into a life of luxury, privilege--and politics. Her mother, the beautiful Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, is a powerful woman in her own right. Her father is the king of England. As a young girl, Joan is immersed in the complexities of life at court, but she doesn't understand how political squabbles can force people apart until it happens to her parents. She can barely comprehend that her role as a princess is to become a political pawn--to be controlled by others more powerful than her. Joan is forced to learn the hard way when her parents marry her off to the king of Sicily, a weak man ten years her senior that she will never love. Perhaps that is a good thing, because Joan has always been told that love should play no part in politics. But amidst the political and personal upheavals that Joan will face in the years to come, she will start to realize that she can't let others tell her how to live her life--and that love for a princess and queen may be possible after all.

The Queen's Daughter is beautifully written piece of historical fiction. It is so clear that Coventry has spent a great deal of time researching the life of Joan, a real historical figure, as well as the varying types of court life, important upheavals, and shifting political alliances. This novel contains just such rich detail to make this portrait of Joan wonderfully vivid. However, while I do think that this was a very well written and constructed novel, I think it would have been better marketed for an adult audience, as opposed to young adult. The problem is that because Coventry's research and writing is so fully detailed, the story reads a little more like a textbook than a novel. I found myself struggling to get through certain sections of the book because I felt that events were merely being related to me. I was more interested in Joan's personal story, and readers don't really get to see much of that until the end of the book. I'm not trying to question the brilliance and beauty of this novel, but I hope readers will understand that The Queen's Daughter is not quite like other YA historical fiction.

The Queen's Daughter will be enjoyed by fans of historical fiction, especially readers who liked A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson, and Sovay by Celia Rees.

The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry
Henry Holt and Company, 2010
370 pages
YA; Historical Fiction
4/5 stars

Source: Library

This is hardcore historical fiction; the reader is deeply immersed in the twelfth century following Princess Joan, daughter of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, sister of Richard the Lionhearted and John Lackland. It's filled with the politics of the period as Joan struggles to be her mother's daughter, to survive in a brutal world, and to maybe find love.

I loved being steeped in this world, about which I know very little, and seeing a woman's perspective. Obviously Joan is pretty privileged as royalty but she's forced into two marriages at the pleasure of her king and is tormented by her familial loyalties. Her father and her brothers spent a lot of time fighting as did her parents; both parents used their children for manipulative purposes and the effects of that reverberate throughout Joan's life.

However while I loved the historical aspects, I didn't really like any of the characters. Sometimes I was able to sympathize with Joan but other times I thought she was making a bad decision. She is married off to William, King of Sicily and despises him as a weakling unlike her father and brother Richard. She is attracted to Raymond, a prolific womanizer whose morals I found loathsome. The teachings of her mother permeate her mind despite her inability to always institute those sayings (for example that kindness is weakness, leading to her assessment of William). But I also found Joan fairly compassionate and doing the best she could in difficult circumstances.

I did love Ermengarde unreservedly, a talkative woman who is sort of Joan's best friend although they are not always able to spend much time together. Richard is a boorish overbearing conqueror and few other characters are in Joan's life long enough to really make an impression. According to the author's note, Joan died when she was thirty-four but she certainly traveled a lot (England, France, Sicily, and the Holy Land) for that short life.

I also felt the book as a whole was somewhat unsympathetic to Eleanor, who has been immortalized in my mind as Katharine Hepburn and who I thus adore. Admittedly the portrayal in the book is far more complex than Eleanor=bad, Henry=good. Both are presented with their share of faults but I would have preferred a more pro-Eleanor perspective. I guess I should search out some books that focus on Eleanor for that.

Recommended for people who know this time period and/or people who really love historical fiction.

Cover: I love the cover! I think the rich colors and beautiful dress are very attractive.

A stunningly vivid tale of a young queen's struggle with duty versus love is beautifully crafted by an a first-time writer but a long-time reader. Filled with historical detail and true period events, The Queen's Daughter follows the life and times of Joan, a young royal who knew some of the most powerful and thrilling figures of her time. Being the daughter of King Henry III, however, meant that you would be just another pawn in a giant game of chess. Highlighting a time when kingdoms were won not only by sword and arrow but by marriage, Joan sets out "to do her duty". Excepting the long road of unhappiness ahead of her, Joan heeds her imprisoned mother's advice and stumbles through her life without love; but what if the queen is wrong?Writing history, no matter how creatively fictitious it may be requires lots of research. I was amazed at how detailed and well-rounded the story turned out to be especially-according to the author's note-if there is not much recorded about our heroine Joan and the span of years Coventry followed. Instead of a story simply about a young royal's life in the 12th century, Coventry wrote about the meaning and pursuit of happiness in a time when very few were allowed to love. Sometimes, despite the authors best intentions, true historical figures placed on the pages of novels can become lost in the many events that they lived in; however, Coventry plucked Joan out of the chaos and placed her in a spotlight that can be enjoyed by both teens and adults alike. I believe Joan would be truly grateful to have her voice imagined.Bringing to light the sad, and gritty unhappy lives of the queens and princesses of the dark ages, The Queen's Daughter holds somewhat of a pessimistic tone. Because of her circumstances, Joan is forced to endure the unimaginable and is often hesitant to receive any kind of true affection which can sometimes turn off reader-character connection. There is a positive side however where readers will be left with nicely written story....and the thankfulness that they do not live in the 12th century! Most of the book flowed evenly along but I did get the feeling that the ending was a bit rushed; I would have also liked to see a little more development between Joan and Count Raymond. Overall, I thought it was a great debut novel and nicely written historical fiction.

Recommend to teens ages 14+
(Includes sexual content-PG-13)

The Queen's Daughter was a fantastic and eye opening debut novel that reminded me once again about how much I love historical fiction.

To begin with, The Queen's Daughter included a ton of historical details. Names, dates, and places were presented in an intriguing way and it made me want to keep reading, to find out more about what was happening. All of the characters were well developed and believable, especially Joan. Readers got to experience things with Princess Joan from the time she was six years old all the way into her thirties. Joan was a great character, and she was truly strong and brave during hard times. It's hard to imagine that girls were married off so young in the Middle Ages and my heart went out to young Joan when she was sent off to marry King William, a man almost twice her age.

It was especially interesting to connect the young characters to famous historical figures. Like Joan's brothers: John (in Robin Hood) and Richard (The Lionhearted). Susan Coventry really put a face to history and made me connect a lot of details I knew about the time period and people. This was a fabulous debut and proved that Susan really did her research.

The Queen's Daughter didn't hold back on details and really stayed true to how people acting during the time. I can't wait to read more about Joan. She is a figure in history I didn't know much about and reading her story was a great experience.

Overall, this was a well written and extremely developed debut. I'm sure fans of historical fiction will devour it and even if you haven't liked the genre before this will definitely appeal to you. I highly recommend picking it up!

Overall: 4.75 out of 5 stars

I've had a thing for historical fiction lately and this one seemed right up my alley. Especially since I know next to nothing about the children of Queen Eleanor and King Henry II. I enjoyed it a lot.

I find Joan particularly fascinating. What a world to grow up in and surrounded by some of the most talked about rulers in history. I think she was a little naive in her relationship with her parents, but what child would honestly think they would use her in such away against one another. I especially enjoyed her world travels. In a time were I don't think many people got to see much more than the area surrounding them, Joan got to see a lot. She live in France, England, and Sicily. Plus she travelled with her brother King Richard during the crusades. She saw much more the women of her time period would ever dream about seeing. I also enjoyed her whit. She spoke openly and sometimes without thought. While, it got her into trouble, I also think it showed her true spirit.

I was expecting some sort of romance, but was not prepared for it to happen towards the end of the book. I was beginning to think she was going to be miserable in Sicily forever. I'm use to reading about women being married off in their teens and being expected to perform their "wifely" duties. But, sometimes it still comes as quite a shock to read about it. It's always interesting to read about the way women were used in political schemes.

The book is marketed to young adults, which I'm afraid might be the wrong genre. It doesn't have a lot of romance and action that I think a lot of teens are looking for. I think teens who already enjoy historical fiction might enjoy this though. I also think a lot of adults would like this.