A
MYSTERIOUS QUEEN COMES BRILLIANTLY ALIVE
IN THIS HISTORICAL NOVEL
“Queen Without a Country” is based on the life of
Berengaria, queen of Richard The Lionheart of England. For centuries Berengaria has languished in the shadows. Thanks to this book, she finally gets her due.
In this absorbing novel, Rachel Bard brings to life a
distant period of history and sheds new light on a long-neglected queen.
Berengaria, the Basque princess who married Richard the Lionheart, is faced with
an indifferent husband, an imperious mother-in-law, and the ruthless power
players of medieval Europe. As Richard’s wife, then widow, she struggles to make
her way in a world dominated by men. The meticulously researched story takes the
reader across the whole turbulent landscape of Berengaria’s world, from Spain to
Sicily, the Holy Land, France and England.
The Major Players:
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Berengaria, eldest daughter of Sancho VI (the Wise) of
Navarre
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Richard I, King of England,
also known as Richard the Lionheart
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Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard’s mother and Dowager Queen of
England
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Blanche, Berengaria’s sister; later Countess of Champagne
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Count Thibaut of Champagne, her husband
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Philip Augustus, King of France
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John, King of England, successor to Richard
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Pierre Savary de Colombiers, later Chevalier of France
The Story in Brief:
Berengaria, a Basque princess, finds her tranquil life
abruptly changed in 1191 when she is snatched away from her native Navarre to
marry Richard the Lionheart , King of England. The marriage is stormy from the
beginning. Though Berengaria falls deeply in love with Richard, he proves an
indifferent husband, more interested in his Crusade and his philandering than in
his queen. After his death Berengaria fights for recognition by his English
heirs and for her rightful inheritance. With no resources except her own
determination and the moral support of the Pope, she succeeds—after 20 years.
Berengaria
finds a safe haven as Dame of Le Mans and proves a
wise, firm administrator, surprising the powerful churchmen who had ruled the
city and expected to bend a weak woman to their will. Believing life hold no
more surprises, at 50 she discovers for the first time what it is to love and be
loved in return. With her beloved companion Pierre Savary at her side, she
fulfills a longtime dream: to build an abbey and a center of learning. The night
before it is dedicated, Berengaria dies, mourned by her people. Her legacy, the
magnificent abbey, still stands.
Click
here to read a sample chapter from "Queen Without a Country"
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About the Author
Rachel
Bard
Rachel Bard became aware of Berengaria, heroine of "Queen Without a Country," while researching her history, "Navarra: The Durable Kingdom." When she learned that an obscure Basque princess had married one of the mightiest heroes of the age, Richard the Lionheart, she wanted to know more. The more she learned, the more she was intrigued by this little-known woman who managed, against great odds, to make her way in a man's world. Yet history has almost ignored her. Bard set out to trace her life. This journey and the writing took ten years. Bard searched the archives in Spain, France and England, and traveled to Pamplona, Sicily, Cyprus, Rome and a half-dozen cities in France: every place Berengaria lived except Palestine.
This was Bard's first novel after eight nonfiction books ranging from travel guides to journalism textbooks to cookbooks. Her fascination with medieval queens continued, and her second historical novel, "Isabella: Queen Without a Conscience" was published in 2006. She is now at work on a third, "A Reed in the Wind," about Joanna, Berengaria's sister-in-law, who accompanied her to the Holy Land when Richard went on Crusade. Bard lives on Vashon Island near Seattle, Washington, and travels annually to France for research and recreation.
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