Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William I by Tracy Borman

Photo by Regina Horne Beard.  

Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William I by Tracy Borman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Many have heard of William the Conqueror, but few know of his wife, Matilda of Flanders. In this biography, Tracy Borman examines Matilda's life in a passionate prose that draws the reader into the narrative. Although Queen of the Conqueror is well researched, there is too much attention placed on rumors about Matilda written centuries after her death. The author is correct in addressing later writers who slander Matilda to point out that misogyny is the main reason historians know so little about her or any other powerful medieval woman; however, the rumors and myths should have been brief since her thesis focused on Matilda's ambition and personality as the driving force to her power and influence over her husband. Borman should have focused solely on academic sources to draw a more substantial picture of Matilda. The combination of the slander and the authentic vision of Matilda left this reader a little fuzzy as to who the Conqueror's queen really was. Otherwise, Queen of the Conqueror is a fascinating tale of a competent, powerful woman for any audience interested in the history of England and Normandy.

View all my reviews

The Enchanter

The book trailer for Expectations:

Setting

A snowy day in Arkansas today.  

The setting of a story is the time and place in which the story is taking place. There should be a sense of a specific somewhere or a total environment - physical, cultural, historical, etc. The setting must be related to the plot because, through the setting, the plot is able to progress. When you are describing a setting, remember to use all of your five senses. You don't just see a setting. You experience one.

Examples of Setting

The following are three different examples of the same setting based on a particular theme:

Nostalgia

The wedding pictures hung on the wall surrounded by photos of a smiling family. The smell of fresh baked bread clung in the air. The fire that blazed and cracked in the hearth warmed my heart. I was finally home.

Torment

She was gone. The room spun around me. The smiling faces on the walls brought tears to my eyes. My heart ached at the faint smell of her perfume and the emptiness that once housed all of her treasures. My heart sank. My wife was gone.

Mystery

The shadows painted the walls shades of black and gray. All was quiet except for the thud-thud, thud-thud. I peered through the darkness and my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. I saw nothing. Again, thud-thud, thud-thud. My heart race violently as the shadows began to dance around me.