Bøger af Valerie Anand

Crown of Roses A SWEEPING HISTORICAL SAGA OF RICHARD III Petronel Faldene, married off at fourteen to the dour and spiteful Lionel Eynesby and taken far away from home to be chatelaine of his estate, never suspected that her destiny would become entangled with the future of England and the most powerful men in the land. But in the England of King Edward IV, torn by civil war and the bitter conflict between the houses of York and Lancaster, anything can happen, as public and private lives alike are touched by treacherous intrigue that hangs like a disease over the court, blighting loyalties, ruining lives, and dividing the people. And when King Edward marries Bess Woodville-graceful, beautiful, but lowly born-even his own supporters are incensed, and Edward must learn to rely on only a few loyal followers, among them his brother Richard of Gloucester and Petronel Eynesby, sent on a perilous undercover mission to France on behalf of the King. Having gained royal favor, however, does not win Petronel the esteem of her cruel husband who, desperate for a son and heir to his estate, holds his young wife responsible for their childlessness. But Petronel, having fallen in love with Lionel's nephew Geoffrey, has her own plans for producing the longed-for child-and taking her secret revenge against her husband. Soon, as dramatic events bring Richard of Gloucester to the throne, not only Petronel but also her young son are once again embroiled in the turbulent affairs of court. Crown of Roses is a stunning achievement, a rich and compelling saga weaving together public and private lives in the cataclysmic years leading up to the reign of Richard III.

In four absorbing volumes, Valerie Anand has traced the Whitmead family from before the time of the Magna Carta through the Restoration to the early 1700s. Now, with The Cherished Wives, Anand turns to a more modern heroine in Lucy-Anne Whitmead, a late eighteenth-century bride.Lucy-Anne's parents have arranged for her to marry a distant cousin, George Whitmead, a merchant with the East India Company and a man she hardly knows. Lucy-Anne's great aunt Henrietta offers the anxious young bride a wedding gift far different from the usual trinkets or linens: "I wish you well, my dear, and I wish you power and freedom too; more of them than I have ever had."Henrietta's words echo in Lucy-Anne's mind long after the novelty of becoming a wife and mistress of a Surrey estate has faded. It is that memory of Henrietta's faith in her-along with a more practical gift Henrietta makes in her will-that sustains Lucy-Anne through hard times as a wife, mother, and grandmother.With characteristic authenticity and passion, Anand creates a moving portrait of a woman to be cherished and a time to be remembered. The Cherished Wives follows The Faithful Lovers in her Bridges Over Time series. "Valerie Anand has been building a remarkable body of work, a series of historical novels that have recreated England's history both accurately and vividly." -The Anniston Star

In the remote heart of the great wood, Ralph and his passionate young wife, Sybil are drawn into the growing conflict between the Norman court and the dark world of the Saxon forest. A net of danger closes round Ralph and he learns that he must bear the ancient title, King of the Wood, with all its mysterious and barbaric responsibilities...