Sprightly and sparkling despite its hefty length, this intimate epic of art and politics from Maxwell (author of The Rogue Queen) examines the life, mind, and choices of medieval poet Christine de Pizan, whose poetry made her the toast of France in the late 14th century. As her nation faces conflict from abroad and within, Maxwell’s de Pizan is, at the novel’s start, a widow liberated from financial deprivation by a surprising opportunity: she is invited to earn a living copying books in the king’s library. De Pizan quickly comes to love this “peaceful life,” working “high above the city’s fray in the Falconry Tower.” When she is encouraged by one of her several mentors to write her own poetry, however, she soon finds herself the center of the court’s attention, earning admirers in dukes and even the queen—and the enmity of the poet she bests in a royal competition. De Pizan notes, tartly, that he “does not think that I, a mere woman, possess the wit necessary to write poetry.”

Maxwell tells this literary tale with brisk authority, moving quickly through de Pizan’s ascent and her growth as an artist, thinker, and person. Dramatic incidents abound, as de Pizan, who is soon commissioned to write and read for the queen herself, faces public controversies and a burgeoning sense of her own responsibility as discord roils the nation. “What can I do? I am just one woman!” she asks, when a dear friend and priest urges her to work for peace. Dialogue and characterization compel, though the prose, honed for clarity and ease of reading, tends to avoid a poet’s lyricism.

What most fascinates is de Pizan’s growing awareness of the injustice of women's position in society. The poet shrewdly maneuvers to secure stations for her children’s future while honing her voice and arriving at pressing questions like “Why were so few books written about praiseworthy women?” Maxwell has written one, a lively rendering of a life and mind that inspires.

Takeaway: Briskly told historical novel of France’s brilliant 14th century woman poet.

Comparable Titles: Coirle Mooney, Elizabeth Chadwick.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A