Chatelaine-Mistress of the Castle

Product Description A Saxon girl of noble blood and striking beauty, Judith had been orphaned when her father was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, leaving her at the mercy of a cruel stepmother. When Raoul "The Hawk" arrives to take ownership of Oakwood, Judith's ancestral home, he is smitten with Judith, and at the tender age of 15, she marries the Norman Lord, even though he is almost twice her age. The newly crowned King, William the Conqueror, faces rebellion throughout England, and Raoul - one of William's favored military commanders - is away from home for much of the time. Left alone in charge of the castle, Judith faces many difficult and often dangerous challenges - not least when Raoul's evil brother, Eustace, plots to attack Oakwood and take it over for his own use. Will Judith's courage and determination be enough to secure the safety of her home and her family? Review "It takes a skilled and intelligent imagination to seamlesslyblend history and fiction. Rose doesn't gloss overthe brutality of the period . . ."- 5 Stars ForeWord Clarion Review5-Star Amazon Reviews for Chatelaine: "I love this book! I found it difficult to put down. The characters wereso real and gave me a wonderful glimpse of the times. To see theirlives unfold from beginning to end was so well done.""Wonderful research - learned a lot about the time period.""Once I started reading it, I could not put it down!... This book is sowell written that I was not only drawn into the history of the time, butI also fell in love right along with Judith and Raoul, sharing in theirjoys and struggles.""One of the true tests of an excellent book is whether or not the charactersbecome friends to the reader. Judith and Raoul quickly becomethose friends... It was a difficult book to put down and I was sadwhen it ended." About the Author Jai Rose has loved historical fiction since her teens, when she discovered The Tudor Wench by Elswyth Thane. Life having an impact on women - and women having an impact on life. Such a revelation! She has been married to the man she loves for more than 50 years. They have two grown children, numerous grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. They also have an adorable black Labrador retriever. People are her focus. While Jai Rose loves the historical aspect of her work, especially its accuracy, it's the story that draws her. She likes the similarities of people then and now, and the differences.