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Poll: Book of the Month for February 2010

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Book of the Month: Feb. 2010

Poll ended at Thu January 7th, 2010, 6:16 am

The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent
5
19%
Brigid of Kildare: A Novel by Heather Terrell
2
8%
Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady
3
12%
The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale
6
23%
The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson
6
23%
Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead
4
15%
 
Total votes: 26

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boswellbaxter
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Poll: Book of the Month for February 2010

Post by boswellbaxter » Fri January 1st, 2010, 6:12 am

Choose our Book of the Month for Feb. 2010 here! Poll closes January 7, 2010.

The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

From Amazon: On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil - as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris. After a fire destroys her home and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London. But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France herself, cherishes. When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home...Amid the violence and unrest, Claudette befriends the Queen, who bears no resemblance to the figurehead rapidly becoming the scapegoat of the Revolution. But when Claudette herself is lured into a web of deadly political intrigue, it becomes clear that friendship with France's most despised woman has grim consequences. Now, overshadowed by the spectre of Madame Guillotine, the Queen's dollmaker will face the ultimate test.

Brigid of Kildare: A Novel by Heather Terrell

From Amazon: Rich in historical detail, Heather Terrell’s mesmerizing novel Brigid of Kildare is the story of the revolutionary Saint Brigid and the discovery of the oldest illuminated manuscript in the annals of the Church, a manuscript that contains an astonishing secret history.

Fifth-century Ireland: Brigid is Ireland’s first and only female priest and bishop. Followers flock to her Kildare abbey and scriptorium. Hearing accounts of Brigid’s power, the Church deems her a threat and sends Decius, a Roman priest and scribe, on a secret mission to collect proof of Brigid’s heresy.

As Decius records the unorthodox practices of Brigid and her abbey, he becomes intrigued by her. When Brigid assigns Decius a holy task—to create the most important and sacred manuscript ever made—he finds himself at odds with his original mission and faces the most difficult decision of his life.

Modern day: Alexandra Patterson, an appraiser of medieval relics, has been summoned to Kildare to examine a reliquary box believed to belong to Saint Brigid. Hidden within the sacred box is the most beautiful illuminated manuscript Alex has ever seen. But even more extraordinary is the contents of the manuscript’s vellum pages, which may have dire repercussions for the Catholic Church and could very well rewrite the origins of Christianity.

Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady

From Publishers Weekly: The portrait of the beautiful, elegant young woman on the cover of this excellent biography will stun anyone used to seeing pictures of Martha Washington as a white-haired, matronly woman. And in a richly woven tapestry of social history and biography, historian Brady re-creates the 18th-century world of wealthy Virginia planters into which the elegant Martha, née Dandridge, was born and the "joyful duet" of her marriage to America's first president. Though born to wealth, Martha (1731–1802) was well schooled in domestic skills—from killing and plucking fowl to preserving fruits and vegetables— and the expected social graces. Just before she turned 19, Martha married Daniel Custis—whose father initially opposed the union, but Martha managed to persuade him otherwise—and moved to his large plantation, where she raised their two children until Custis's death in 1757. Two years later, as the owner of Custis's vast estate, she married George Washington and became the wife of a young colonel whose ambitions and military and political ingenuity catapulted him into the leadership of the colonies and later the republic. Devoted to George, Martha accompanied him on his sojourns during the Revolutionary War, and her considerable social skills were crucial in helping her husband navigate the difficult political waters of the presidency. Brady's splendid biography offers a compelling new portrait of this passionate, committed founding mother who has unjustly been obscured by others, such as Abigail Adams.

The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale

From Amazon: It is 1752 and seventeen-year-old Agnes Trussel arrives in London pregnant with an unwanted child. Lost and frightened, she finds herself at the home of Mr. J. Blacklock, a brooding fireworks maker who hires Agnes as an apprentice. As she learns to make rockets, portfires, and fiery rain, she slowly gains his trust and joins his quest to make the most spectacular fireworks the world has ever seen.

Jane Borodale offers a masterful portrayal of a relationship as mysterious and tempestuous as any the Brontës conceived. Her portrait of 1750s London is unforgettable, from the grimy streets to the inner workings of a household where little is as it seems. Through it all, the clock is ticking, for Agnes's secret will not stay secret forever.

Deeply atmospheric and intimately told from Agnes's perspective, The Book of Fires will appeal to readers of Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Waters, Sheri Holman, and Michel Faber.

The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson

From Library Journal: In this graceful retelling of the Irish legend of Deirdre of the Sorrows, the young woman whose birth laid a curse upon the kingdom of Ulster and its aging king, Conor, the author of The White Mare captures the sense of tragedy, nobility, and the acceptance of destiny that permeates Celtic myth. Watson's characters have both a larger-than-life appeal and a commonality that emphasizes their human frailty as well as their dedication to life and love

Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead

From Booklist: Young Aidan is blessed. He is one of a small band of Irish monks chosen to accompany a magnificent hand-painted manuscript--what we now know as the Book of Kells--across the sea to Byzantium. There the gift will be presented to the emperor, who will then be predisposed to hear of the difficulties facing the Irish church. But before reaching landfall in Brittany, the monks' coracle is set upon by Viking raiders who capture Aidan and take him into slavery in their northern homeland. And the Book? It survives, of course, and Aidan is finally able to fulfill his quest. But a Viking raid on Byzantium, an expedition to the Holy Land, imprisonment in a desert prison-mine, wars at sea, and yet more adventures come before the monk's commission is discharged. Not merely a gripping yarn--and it certainly is that--this is also a novel about faith and the tests life plants in its way. Lawhead, author of the popular Pendragon cycle of fantasies, here makes a sure move into mainstream historical fiction.
Susan Higginbotham
Coming in October: The Woodvilles


http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
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SonjaMarie
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Post by SonjaMarie » Fri January 1st, 2010, 6:18 am

I voted for "Dollmarker" it's a book that will actually be available through BF.

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Fri January 1st, 2010, 3:15 pm

I voted for Brigid but I have a feeling dollmaker or Swan will win
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Post by annis » Fri January 1st, 2010, 7:32 pm

What a dilemma! I was impressed by "Book of Fires", notable for its striking use of language, but I also love both "Swan Maiden" and "Byzantium", which is my favourite Stephen Lawhead novel.

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Post by Misfit » Fri January 1st, 2010, 7:48 pm

I voted for Doll Maker but I also want to read Book of Fires. Library is bringing both in so I'm happy either way :)
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Leo62
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Post by Leo62 » Fri January 1st, 2010, 7:54 pm

Some good choices this month. Byzantium and Brigid both sound intriguing, but in the end I went for Swan Maiden as it missed out last month.
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of a good universe next door;let's go
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Post by EC2 » Fri January 1st, 2010, 10:16 pm

It was 'Fires' for me, although I hovered over 'Swan Maiden' for an agony of time. I will read both though. :)
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

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boswellbaxter
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Post by boswellbaxter » Fri January 8th, 2010, 10:34 pm

We have a tie! Tiebreaker poll up shortly.
Susan Higginbotham
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