Flu Review - The Falcon's Eyes by Francesca Stanfill

Posted on Jul 15, 2022 by Anna Jackson  | Comments (0)

The Falcon's Eyes is what I would consider to be the perfect book. The characters, setting, plot, vernacular, and emotion of the book set it apart from other historical novels. While the book is called a novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine, it follows after Ben-Hur: the Story of Jesus Christ. The story about Jesus comes from the life of Ben-Hur, and for The Falcon's Eyes, the story of Queen Eleanor comes through the narration of the Lady Isabelle.

Through living with Isabelle in her provincial childhood, her strangling marriage, and her freedom in the abbey, Standfiill builds up to the reveal of Isabelle's life with the queen. Isabelle always dreamed of meeting the queen, and it is because of all her life choices that she needed to escape to the safety of the queen's exile.

Overall, I could not put this book down. Meeting Isabelle was like meeting an old friend, one who made mistakes I would make, who fought bravely for what she believed in, who cared for those around her, and who wanted a life of purpose and meaning. It was a joy to read this book, and truly sad to put it away. I will have to purchase this book when it becomes available. I commend the author for her in depth research into Queen Eleanor and how she told her story.

This book is not for the casual reader, as the 800  page count will scare off some people, but for those looking for a literary gem, this is the book I will recommend to them.

By Erica