Therein Lies the Pearl
The course of English history took a sudden, bitter and permanent turn in the fall of 1066 when Duke William of Normandy, the Conqueror, defeated the Saxon army of King Harold at Hastings. England became Norman. But the ancient Saxon bloodline did not die at Hastings. It was carried on by Edgar, the grandson of Saxon kings, and by his sister, Margaret, known as the Pearl of Scotland. History has a way of overlooking, even denigrating, the women who helped make it. Royal Margaret is a pawn for would be kings. Celia Campion is Norman. But she isn’t royalty. She is an orphan charged with protecting her baby sister. Like the biblical Job, both women are battered by fate but, strong, independent and courageous, they refuse to cower. Celia is in love with Simon, a brawny soldier who goes to fight for William while she is cast as a spy for the Norman duke, placing her at odds with the Saxon princess Margaret.
Like any good historical fiction, Therein Lies the Pearl teaches effortlessly as it pulls you into its tale of love, intrigue, danger and survival. It satisfies the lover of historical fiction and the fan of romances fraught with uncertainty. Can happiness be found in a world of ceaseless violence? Can friendships be forged despite historic animosities and class differences? Sometimes the dialogue seems a bit spot on, in moments of passion, theatric, not crispy enough. A burst of emotion sizzles, while too much inner thought can be repetitive and unnecessary. Even so, the novel never slows down, though the end may startle readers with an unforeseen twist. Therein Lies the Pearl checks off all the boxes for readers wanting to explore a place and time they’ve never been.
