British historical author on par with Sharon Kay Penman although more of a romantic bent that Penman. Books are hard to find in the US. ( )

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Review ** spoiler alert ** A brilliant look at pre- and post-Hastings England, this book entertains, teaches, and enthralls. The characters and emotions come to life in a setting as immediate as the real world. Even thought the story takes place in a world a thousand years in the past, the reader finds themselves transported in time with Chadwick's talented descriptions and story-telling.

My favorite part of this book was the characters. There was not a single one that was completely flat and two-dimensional (save maybe Wulfstan). Nothing was black and white, good or bad. The reader empathizes with almost every character and can see their motivations and goals come to vivid life. Even the characters that the author conveniently kills off stand out on their own merits.

That's one of my few gripes about this book, actually. The ending was a little too wrapped up and perfect, with characters dying that could have been explored so much more. And the final showdown on the sea almost seemed just thrown in to give us a big send off. But it was still entertaining as hell and I was happy that Julitta and Ben got their happy ending where Julitta's parents did not.

The Conquest is another shining example of Elizabeth Chadwick's writing. With vivid characters and exceptional world-building, the reader is transported to another world and time. Definitely a book for the re-read shelf! ( )

Elizabeth Chadwick is an author that I know I can rely upon to deliver a well researched historical novel that tells a great story as well. I was not disappointed with The Conquest. Starting in the year of 1066, we follow the lives of a Saxon mother and eventually her half-Norman daughter.

Saxon Ailith suffers the loss of husband, child and brothers yet she recklessly falls in love with a Norman invader. She gives birth to his daughter, Julitta, and lives with him on his estate in England, gifted to him by William. This relationship eventually comes to an end not in a small part due to the fact that her Norman lover has a wife and daughter in France. The second half of the book tells the story of Ailith’s daughter who had a troubled life of her own.

The author draws you in with her exciting story, makes you care about her main characters and still manages to impart accurate historical information including depicting the fashion, food and etiquettes of the day. I love the fact that I can simply sit back and enjoy a great story, knowing Elizabeth Chapman has taken care of the details. ( )

In 1066, England finds itself overrun with Normans. Ailith, a young Saxon woman and the wife of a blacksmith, is living a content life even while her home country is invaded --- until she loses both her husband and infant son on the same day. Her life comes to a halt and she sees no way to move on. In a few short hours, she goes from being the mistress of her own home to wet nurse to a Norman friend and living almost as a servant in their home.

Ailith's life becomes even more complicated and unhappy by a wedding proposal from a man she despises. When a womanizing Norman named Rolf makes her mistress of his household of his newly acquired lands, she jumps at the chance at a new life. Ailith and Rolf soon fall in love and a daughter, Julitta, is born. When circumstances change quickly, Ailith is forced to make the difficult decision to leave Rolf and her life behind.

Elizabeth Chadwick is a writer I like a lot. I tend to fall in love with her characters and their intricate relationships. In this book, I liked Ailith. She was strong and proud but is also deeply scarred and vulnerable. She gets moody and dark but has every right to feel the way she does after all she lost. Rolf, on the other hand, while likable, seems to think more of his horses than anything or anyone else. He spent too much time brooding and fantasizing about other woman for me to really like him.

The story is told in two parts. Ailith's life and then her daughter Julitta's. However, the story shifts abruptly and characters feel like they just disappear. Rolf, for instance, while he was still mentioned, only shows up to marry off Julitta, unsuitably I might add, and is gone again. The two stories, while connected, didn't feel integrated and I felt like I was reading the same story with a few new characters thrown in.

But, all the above being mentioned, I still found myself liking the story. There's romance --- which I found I didn't always get into even when large parts of the story hinge on two people finding happiness or at least of few hours of pleasure --- and a lot of horses in this one. Although, I think maybe I had my fill of hands running down flanks for awhile. I don't mind the romance part, I think it was just too much for me this time around. Chadwick is great at the historical details though and she does draw you in. You want to yell at her characters and cheer them on at the same time. While I don't think this will rank up near the top as one of my favorite books of her's, I don't plan to stop reading her novels. ( )

This novel is set during the Norman conquest of Saxon England and is a mother-daughter tale written in 2 parts. This book is beautifully written and an enchanting read. My only regret is that it is very difficult to find more of this authors novels as I feel the need to pick up as many as I can now. ( )