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Reviewed by Louise Leetch
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As a lifelong admirer of Eleanor of Aquitaine, I’m always excited to see a book about her and her remarkable family. The Sixth Surrender, a novel by Hana Samek Norton, focuses on her son, King John, who acceded to the throne of England after his brother Richard I and father, Henry II.
Author Norton chooses a minor player, Juliana de Charnais, as a link to the machinations of Alienor (the French spelling used by the author), her son and the nasty old Lusignan dynasty. If you’ve avoided the more scholarly tomes about the Plantagenets, this is just the book for you.
It’s light and simple and the players are easy to keep track of by the author’s animated descriptions. Norton scrupulously delivers her 13th century history characters well woven into a story that’s sure to tantalize the casual reader to press on to a bit more serious history.
Armand de Lusignan and his family suffered enough degradation under the rule of Kings Henry and Richard, they were not about to put up with John ‘Softsword’ and his attempt to destroy them. John usurped a pending alliance by marrying Isabelle of Angouleme.
Juliana’s marriage to Guerin de Lasalle saves her from the convent and makes him beholden to the queen. However, all is not well in the arranged marriage, as any reader of historical romance would know. Luckily, Norton doesn’t dwell on the usual attempts at seduction and rather focuses on King John’s quarrels with Philip Augustus of France.
John’s nephew, Arthur of Brittany, has aligned himself with Philip and the Lusignans to try to wrest the crown he feels should be his. Of course, Philip and Armand de Lusignan have plans of their own. Guerin de Lasalle proves to be John’s best weapon to preserve his Norman holdings, easily re-taking the fortress of Mirbeau away from the hapless Arthur.
Louise Leetch divides her time between Chicago and Wisconsin. Both houses are just crammed with books. She collects her reviews on her GoodReads page.