Good? Bad? Both?

My knowledge of the Norman conquest is pretty spotty, so I have no idea of the historical accuracy of the politics in this book. As always, I'm more interested in the emotions of the characters than in the history.

Her Norman Conqueror by Malia Martin
(1998, Medieval) 8/17/06
Grade: 3

Desperate to avoid her stepbrother, Aleene marries a seemingly simple minded poacher. Haunted by memories of her stepfather’s sexual abuse, she finds comfort in his kindness. But when William invades, she discovers her husband isn’t what he seemed - he’s actually a Norman spy. Can she ever trust a man who turned her into a traitor?

The first section of the book was an interesting, emotional story, as Aleene learns to trust again with her new husband. (It’s a bit of a cheat, since we never find out that “Cyne” isn’t really simple minded. But since he’s the hero of the book, the reader has to assume something else is going on. If he really had been retarded, the scenario would be kind of icky.) But with the invasion, the book shifts gears as Aleene and Robert become closely involved with the politics of the two kings. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t seem to track with what came before. By the time the story got back to the emotional side of things, the plot threads had gotten lost somehow.

If this book had been straight politics, I might have found it more acceptable. The author teased me with a great, emotional story in the first part of the book, and when that went away, I was especially disappointed.