Godiva: A Novel

Description

Everyone knows the legend of Lady Godiva - the woman who (in)famously rode naked on horseback through Coventry to relieve her people from unfair taxation. But why would a lady of the court take it all off and risk everything, including husband, home and well-being? In this richly imagined retelling of an oft-told ancient tale, Nicole Galland presents Lady Godiva in all her glory, as she and her best friend, the Abbess Egdiva, and husband, Leofric the Earl of Mercia, embark on an adventure filled with courtly intrigue, deceit, back-stabbing and romance.

Nicole Galland is the author of six previous novels: Stepdog, Godiva, I, Iago, Crossed, Revenge of the Rose, and The Fool's Tale.

"This is a wonderful historical novel that proves that all people see themselves as the hero of their own lives." -- Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! "Attention to detail and humor keeps the novel both exhaustive and hilarious...Nicole Galland is exceptionally well versed in the fine nuances of storytelling and illustrating the combustible nature of mixing religion, commerce and war." -- St. Petersburg Times (Florida) "At once an idiot's guide to the tangled geopolitical landscape of 13th century and a clear and stern indictment of contemporary events...Thick with delectable historical details." -- Martha's Vineyard Times on CROSSED "[A] funny (really!) look at this disastrous Crusade through the eyes of a wacky Welshman, a pious knight and his half-brother and an Arab princess (who isn't what she seems) they hope to return to her Egyptian home. It's a raucous road trip set in the 13th century." -- New York Post "A clever novel of courtly love . . . entertains with a flourish." -- Publishers Weekly "A tasty fictional stew, mixing elements of twelfth-century culture together skillfully to produce a veritable reading feast." -- Booklist "An astonishing work of imaginative empathy, buttressed by deep research and enriched by lively storytelling." -- Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Godiva is amusing, practical, lively, and relatable in this clever retelling of the legendarily naked lady's story, Galland's fifth novel. Filled to the brim with courtly intrigue, dangerous misapprehensions, crossings and double-crossings, and enough high humor to ensure at least some giggling through many portions... -- Booklist on GODIVA