With Flame and Sword - Book Review

History, Adventure, and Love in 11th Century England

Oct 10, 2009

Seasoned author Bebe Faas Rice takes the reader on a sweeping journey through the trials and tribulations, victories and defeats, and loves and losses of England's people

This historical novel, set in the years 1065 and 1066AD, offers a window into England’s soul - at a pivotal moment in the life of its people. With Flame and Sword opens with a brief prologue that gives insight into the story’s final outcome and sets the stage for the action soon to unfold. Written in narrative fashion and sprinkled with revelations of characters’ internal thoughts, the book weaves together many threads with great artistry.

Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry’s depictions, Ms. Rice takes on a sizable task – the crafting of a fictional account that stays true to the main facts around the Norman conquest of England. A 230-foot piece of embroidery – that conveys the story of France’s invasion – the Tapestry is itself a work of monumental achievement and significance. The fact that it has survived since its likely manufacture in the 11th century makes it particularly valuable (at one point, Napoleon seized and studied it), and the original is now housed in a dedicated museum in Normandy, France.

Our Heroine, Rowan

In the opening pages of Ms. Rice’s book, the reader is introduced to the travails of a young woman named Rowan. Though always reminded by her mother of their supposed royal lineage, she keeps her head out of the clouds and grounded in reality. Even while bearing unimaginable burdens, Rowan stands tall and steady - for which the tree sharing her name would be proud.

Hers is a coming-of-age tale – and, as luck would have it, good fortune smiles upon her at the moment she most needs it. Rowan lands a position in Lady Edith Swan-neck’s service and is soon whisked into the tumultuous sphere of royalty – one laden with banquets and wine, suitors and ladies, lies and scandal.

An Empty Throne

With King Edward’s death come an empty throne and a frightening prophecy. Who is the rightful heir? And why will England be engulfed for “a year and a day” by flames and swords? The country is thrown into turmoil. Earl Harold, Lady Edith’s hand-fasted husband, is quickly thrust into the limelight as sovereign, gaining not only followers but also his share of foes. Armies are assembled amid threats of invasion; pledges and promises are called into question; and wrongful accusations are challenged.

War on the Horizon

As England finds itself on the verge of war, the clamor is almost palpable. Looking on with Edith and Rowan, the reader shares in the distress as their true loves step into harm’s way in a fight for God and country. History has the final say as victories are tallied – but love, perhaps, is the real conqueror. Engaging and epic, With Flame and Sword is a delightful read that provides a compelling account and furthers the emotional understanding of a decisive era in history.

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