Wife to the Bastard [Paperback]

Hilda Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

Matilda of Flanders, queen to William the Conqueror was beautiful, exquisitely small, clever, with a perfect courtesy trained in the rigid school of medieval manners. But within lay a root of darkness - inheritance, perhaps, of Viking ancestors. Twice, at least, in her lifetime the Viking streak broke through, in vengeance on a faithless lover, in fury wreaked on a rival of the marriage bed. The marriage, though fruitful of so many children, was on her side no match of love. But a passionate loyalty to her husband, an equally passionate ambition, together with her own sense of justice, gave her the will and the skill to dissemble her feelings and to make her the praise of Christendom. No Queen ever wielded so much power as she in the long years she ruled Normandy; before her no woman in England was ever crowned or was known as Queen.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hilda Lewis was one of the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists. She was born in London and lived for much of her life in Nottingham. She wrote over 20 novels, most published in hardback by Hutchinson and paperbacked by Arrow. Hilda Lewis died in 1974.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tempus (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752439456
• ISBN-13: 978-0752439457
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,287,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insight into an obscure period, August 15, 2007

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Book reader (Merritt Island, FL) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Wife to the Bastard (Paperback)

I read this book years ago, but it's stuck in my mind ever since, so it was a delight to see it available again. The book is well written and the characters are vivid, their motivations clear, their actions consistent with their stories. The book covers the marriage of William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda, from before 1066 through the later years of their marriage when their children were tearing the family and the country apart. It's a somewhat sad book but a great way to introduce yourself to the events and personalities of the era. It's also well written so the prose is a pleasure to read. If you like historical fiction, this is an excellent addition to your must-read list.

24 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Needs a good editor., November 9, 2007

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Danielle Amundsen "Danielle" (Dreamland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wife to the Bastard (Paperback)

I like this book. I probably would have given it 5 stars except for one thing -- I wonder if it was ever edited. And if it was, fire the editor.

I admit I am a stickler for correct grammar when reading a book. This book has many errors, such as "be little" instead of "belittle," etc. Otherwise, if this does not bother you, get this book. It is very interesting.

I have read many books on William the Conqueror but this is my first book on his wife. I enjoyed it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not at all interesting, February 23, 2009

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Spock - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Wife to the Bastard (Paperback)

This book started out interesting, with her getting pregnant and having to hide the birth of her child, but it went downhill from there. The writing was so boring, or the writing style, or the subject, or all of the above, that I ended up not even caring about what happened to the character and had to force myself to finish the book to see what all the fuss was about. I didn't get a good feel for the character or for the lives of the other people in this book. It was so dull, all I remember is her having a lot of children and how her husband wasn't the nicest of people. Otherwise, I found my self reading the Wikipedia entry for Matilda, that was more interesting than this book was! I don't think I will try to read another book by this author again.