The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory, Read by Bianca Amato

Philippa Gregory has always been one of my fav authors. When I was growing up, my high school librarian didn't really buy any YA books--I had to buy those at Waldenbooks at the mall or read books from my mom's library. But my H.S. librarian loved historical romances, so there was plenty of Philippa Carr and Victoria Holt.

In this title, Jacquetta meets Joan of Arc as a young girl, and then rises through the English and French monarchy. Jacquetta has to marry the old Duke of Bedford, but he doesn't want her physically--he just wants her powers of seeing the future. This is the time when alchemy is frowned upon by the church, but the rich are exploring it anyway. As a widow duchess, Jacquetta rebels and marries her husband's squire. But the wheels of fate are still nice to Jacquetta and they rise through the ranks to be very close to the House of Lancaster in England.

I found this fascinating because I didn't know this story. Usually historical fiction of this era starts with Henry VIII and his women, so I liked this earlier time. The narrator's voice was soothing, the accents wonderful, and the 15 disks went quickly!