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Average Customer Review
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
fine medieval romance, January 26, 2008
Following the death of her husband Kenneth, widow Kenna realizing her outspoken daughter will never find a wealthy mate dumps Tessa on her late husband's brother Thane Macbeth MacGindlaech so that there is one less mouth the feed. In Inverness Castle in Moray, Tessa struggles to keep quiet so as to not alienate Macbeth's difficult wife Lady Gruoch.
A fourth son Englishman Lord Jeffrey Brixton arrives with a bull that Macbeth bought from the Brixton estate. Whereas everyone believes Jeffrey is a non threatening guest, Tessa thinks otherwise. When she overhears Jeffrey plot with her maternal Uncle Biote Cawder to over throw the aging King Duncan, she plans to tell her paternal Uncle Macbeth. Instead Jeffrey catches her and takes her to England where she meets his kindhearted but dying sister-in-law Eleanor, who takes her and some cousins to London for a season. As Macbeth rises to the Scottish throne, Tessa is married to someone who rejects her. When she learns Jeffrey died in Scotland she races home to learn the truth as she knows he is the one she loves.
Peg Herring shows plenty of chutzpah and insanity to tell the tale of MACBETH'S NIECE as she describes the ambitious Lady and the torn Lord with obvious comparisons to the Bard; she does so in homage as only a high school English teacher could. However, the author wisely moves her heroine out of Scotland rather quickly so that she distances her tale from the original. Tessa is a fascinating courageous heroine while Jeffrey is more enigmatic. However, it is the support cast who steals the show whether they come from Shakespeare or Herring as they add depth to a fine medieval romance filled with "Double, Double, toil and trouble" and love.
Harriet Klausner
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
What you see might not be!, February 18, 2008
Peg Herring writes a fictional novel with MacBeth having a niece to deal with at a time when he is wary of his own future. While her limited time with him is pleasant, Tessa soon finds her life twisted and snarled through events that prove the three old crones' comments true. Tessa, who remains loyal to her blood kin, learns some valuable lessons about politics and love. Herring, a former English teacher, writes a novel that would be great outside reading to go with the study of MacBeth in class. If I were still teaching, I would assign it. Great mystery and suspense.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Marvelous!, February 14, 2008
What a wonderful story!
Yes, the author, like many others, has used some of the bones of Shakespeare's tales on which to build her tale. The meat she's put on the few bones of Shakespeare are indeed delicious.
"Macbeth's Niece" is a wonderfully crafted tale of a young Scottish lass in mediaeval times who is caught up in the politics, shameful travesties and the heart-melting trials of a beautiful, young girl's life. Characterization, plot and setting are masterful! The troubles between the Scots, the Scots and English and between evil, conniving individuals looking out for themselves at the expense of others, are intriguing, interesting and fascinating. The heroine experiences many trials and tribulations but fortunately, all ends very well.
Well worth reading!!
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Unexpectedly Wonderful, August 30, 2008
I found this book at my local library and was intrigued by the title although the cover put me off a bit. So I checked it out on Amazon to see what others thought of it. I figured it must have been overrated since only three people had reviewed it so far.
I was wrong! This was a surprisingly wonderful book. Although the famous character in the title does not appear overmuch in the storyline, it is a fascinating spin-off from Shakespeare's great tragedy.
The story follows Tessa macFindleach, the niece of Lord then King Macbeth. Tessa is a poor relation whose shrewish, widowed mother sends her to Macbeth's castle in hopes that he will marry her off. On her way there the three witches each make a prophecy regarding Tessa's future. The spirited Tessa manages to discover a plot to kill the Scottish king and is abducted by an English spy which sets off the first of the three prophecies. Tessa, who seems to have a knack for getting abducted, then is sent on an adventurous coming of age journey. Herring writes very interesting, multi-faceted characters, and it is a fun, humorous, romantic adventure that is contained in the pages of this book. I would recommend this book to any one interested in Scottish culture, the play Macbeth or anyone who loves a good story.
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