BOOK REVIEW: City of God by Cecelia Holland

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Netgalley. This did not influence my review.

I love Cecelia Holland’s writing. She’s one of my absolute favorite authors. So when I saw City of God offered on Netgalley, I jumped to request it. It’s a re-release of a novel from 1979, published as an ebook by Open Road Integrated Media. I’m thrilled to see that many of Holland’s books are being re-released as ebooks so I can get a hold of some of the ones I’ve missed.

City of God is, as subtitled, A Novel of the Borgias, so the time period and subject matter are inherently fascinating. Holland approaches them obliquely using a fictional protagonist who both witnesses and influences history and in this way she makes a complicated political history accessible. She gives us someone else’s eye to view/judge the demon Borgias.

Nicholas Dawson is the driven, brilliantly efficient secretary to the Florentine ambassador to Rome. He is not from Florence, but was brought up in Pamplona by monks after the death of his English parents. He has no real loyalty to Florence or Spain or any at all to England. Nevertheless, he is very good at his job and works hard to make his ineffectual boss look good, even though it generally means rewriting the ambassador’s dispatches into missives that are more politically astute.

Times are changing. Pope Alexander’s son, Cesare Borgia, the Duke of Valentinois, is bent on conquering all of Italy and is making a reasonable go of it. He’s ruthless, without scruples, and has the support of the pope. Borgia wants Florence. He needs information and knows where to get it. He draws Dawson into his web.

Dawson is not a particularly brave man, but he is ambitious. He is extremely intelligent and he likes to feel powerful. At least, he likes the illusion of power that he gets from proximity to power. Borgia frightens and attracts him. He is particularly excited when Borgia acts on counsel that he provides. Things become more dangerous and potentially more rewarding the higher he rises in Borgia’s circle.

Dawson is, among other things, homosexual. Early on, he becomes involved with a handsome young man of lower social status–a thief and a gambler, who becomes somewhat of an unofficial protector. This relationship anchors and irritates Dawson as it moves beyond the sexual to more of a commitment and then into something that burdens them both. And yet, in the swirl of politics, warfare, murder, and betrayal that engulf Italy and occupy Dawson’s nimble mind, his love for Stefano (had he admitted it) may have been the only "real" thing he had.

Holland does her usual superb job of setting a historical scene with just enough history and politics to immerse you in time and place without bogging down the action. Focus is on the characters. Dawson shines as a brutally self-interested man of the times who has to live with the consequences of his own actions. The characters in The City of God are not people to like or admire, but they populate a realistic and engrossing historical novel.

FAVORITE BOOK GIVEAWAY- Great Maria by Cecelia Holland

I love this book so much, I want to share it. If you're a fan of historical fiction (or think you could become one) I recommend this remarkable novel.
My review is here.

And from the jacket back:

Her father is a robber baron...
Her husband has grand ambitions and a quick temper...
She will become...The Great Maria.
A lush portrait of the eleventh century that leaves out none of its harshest nature, Great Maria is Cecelia Holland at her most evocative. A mere fourteen years old, strong-willed Maria is betrothed to Richard. Theirs is a marriage of conflict, yet one that grows over the years into respect and partnership. As they struggle-- at times against each other, at times side-by-side-- Maria and Richard emerge as full-blooded characters you'll never forget.

The contest will run from now until November 30th. To enter, leave a comment below with your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. You don't have to be a follower to enter, but if you are, (new or old) you get one extra entry. You also get an extra entry for blogging, tweeting, or linking to the contest on Facebook.

Good luck!

ESCAPE TO THE PAST WITH: The Secret Eleanor by Cecelia Holland

I am a die-hard Cecelia Holland fan. Great Maria is one of my favorite books (see my previous review) with Jerusalem (a story chronicling the events leading up to the battle of Hattin) ranking right up there with it. I’ve always admired Holland’s ability to breathe life into her characters and plunk me right into whatever time period she’s writing about. She can create extraordinary dramatic tension with the subtlest emotional interactions, never veering into melodrama. In one powerful opening scene in Jerusalem, the rough knight Rannulf, a brutal Templar who joined the order to atone for horrific sins, emerges from battle to find one of his younger comrades dying. The boy is frightened. Rannulf can do nothing for him and his mind is still dealing with the battle and its aftermath. They exchange a minimum of words. Rannulf simply holds the boy’s hand and settles down to wait with him. It’s no cliff-hanger, but it was one of the most moving scenes I’ve ever read. Holland drew me along and left me stunned.

Which brings me to Holland’s new release, The Secret Eleanor. I anticipated this release the way a second-grader waits for Christmas. One of my favorite historical novelists was writing a book about not just one of my favorite time periods but one of my favorite historical characters. I pre-ordered the book. When it arrived, I had to force myself to finish what I was reading at the time before starting.

And so...maybe I was setting myself up to be just a wee bit disappointed.

Don’t get me wrong. This is a very enjoyable read. Holland delivers with her trademark ability to situate the reader in a different time and place. In this case, the time is 1151, when Eleanor was the dissatisfied Queen of France married to the ineffectual Louis VII. When Henry of Anjou came with his father to France to argue with Louis, plans were supposedly hatched between Eleanor and Henry. What came to pass shortly afterward, Eleanor’s annulment and rapid marriage to Henry, is history.

What happens in The Secret Eleanor is historical fiction. Seen primarily through the eyes of Eleanor’s sister Petronilla, it is an entertaining "what if?" type of tale. Eleanor is strong but vulnerable. Petronilla is loyal, but understands that too much is being asked of her. And when the line is crossed, how much is she realistically supposed to yield to the domineering sister she loves? Henry, absent for much of the story, is a necessary prop but a minor character.

I read the book in a couple of sittings and was genuinely curious to see how Petronilla would resolve her dilemma. I did enjoy the book and recommend it for historical romance lovers.

So where is my hesitation coming from? I think it’s because I was expecting a story about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Fictionalized, of course, but still, I had been looking forward to a book about the woman I’ve studied as a historical figure. Instead, it wasn’t real. It was "imagine this happened; there’s nothing to say that it could not have happened." And as much as I know that historical fiction is supposed to do this, to weave a web of "what-ifs" around historical events or people, sometimes it just jars too much. Eleanor’s life is so rich and larger than life to begin with, it hardly seems necessary to construct so elaborate a what-if to make her life...I don’t know...more interesting? If ever there was a life that didn’t need to be embellished with a "what-if" it would be Eleanor’s.

So in the end, I don’t really think of this as Eleanor’s story. I think of this as a wonderful historical novel about Petronilla, a fictional sister to a fictional queen, married to an ineffectual king. The queen escapes from her loveless marriage to find passionate love with a younger, stronger nobleman by means of an elaborate ruse. But she can not do it without the help of her loyal sister. Must she destroy that sister to achieve her ends?

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES Great Maria by Cecelia Holland

Great Maria by Cecelia Holland was re-released in August by Sourcebooks Landmark for a new crop (I won’t say generation because I’m not that old!) of historical fiction lovers to discover and enjoy. Hooray! I’m thrilled this book is coming around again. Nevertheless, I undertake this review with trepidation because Great Maria is one of my favorite books. Can I possibly do it justice? How do I explain why I love this novel so much?

The first time I read this I was a fairly young thing, looking for some historical fiction at my local library. Although sucked into the medieval world, glued to the pages, and ultimately moved by the story, I have to admit the brutality bothered me. Maria is beaten by her husband. A beloved child dies and he refuses to speak of it even though she clearly needs to grieve with him. I had trouble "getting" their relationship.

1993 re-release The Hera Series

Well, younger me, guess what? It’s the middle ages!

Despite finding some aspects of the relationship a bit off-putting, memories of the novel stayed with me over the years. When I came across it in a book store several years later, I bought it to re-read. This time I was completely floored. What an extraordinarily beautiful love story. There was brutality, yes, but also poignancy and tenderness. And a dry humor that made me laugh out loud. This couple was well-matched indeed.

So what is this story about? Loosely (very loosely?) based on the Norman conquest of Sicily, Maria is the daughter and heiress of a local petty baron. Richard is a Norman knight in his employ– a mercenary. Richard is accompanied by a couple of his brothers, including his handsome, charming younger brother Roger. Maria has eyes for Roger, but ambitious Richard wants the baron’s castle and, being somewhat belligerent and threatening, he manages to convince the baron it would be a good idea to let him marry Maria. The baron lets Maria decide. At first, she says no. She doesn’t particularly like the brutish Richard. But Richard gives her a glimpse of his ambition. And Maria intuits enough to realize Richard has something Roger does not.

The book tells the story of their life together, forging a kingdom and a marriage. What makes Great Maria so remarkable is the detail of a strong medieval woman’s life, how she uses her role in order to be a full partner to her ambitious husband. Generally she supports him but at times she opposes him – and sometimes she wins. Their marriage is full of give and take, all within the context of the grit, bloodshed, and political intrigue of their medieval world.

Cecelia Holland is a masterfully subtle writer. The character development is so flawless that she doesn’t have to explain for the reader what a gesture might have meant– the gesture speaks for itself. A few well-chosen words pack an enormous emotional wallop. Their fleeting moments of happiness and playfulness are a precious gift in lives filled with turmoil and struggle and I felt like I was living it all right along with Maria.
I love this book. I’ve read it three times. And I just might have to read it again.