Anne Echols has a deep-seated interest in exploring the lives of women during the Middle Ages, a subject she has previously tackled in non-fiction. Her foray into historical fiction aims to bring this era to life through compelling narratives. Echols's work is characterized by its meticulous research and dedication to portraying the historical period with authenticity. She seeks to offer readers an intimate glimpse into the past, focusing on the experiences and perspectives of women within their societal context.
Felise's debtor father has disappeared on a merchant journey; her guardian is plotting to marry her to a stranger; and the Hundred Years' War rages all around her. She fears that France will soon be held captive, just as she is- but when Joan of Arc blazes into history and Felise's life, everything changes.
"Crusader and concubine, laundress and troubadour, mystic and midwife and miniaturist, beguine and bondwoman and the bersatrix rocking the cradle of kings- all find their rightful place in this bountiful compendium. With vast resourcefulness and a lively (and often irreverent) eye for the creaturely real, the authors make it impossible to sustain any last lingering illusions about the Middle Ages being 'a man's world.' "-John Bugge, Emory University