Her entry begins:I’m still in the midst of a post-National Novel Writing Month reading blitz, with books piled everywhere. Recently I read Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin: a graceful retelling of Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid” from the point of view of Lavinia, the final wife of Aeneas. The novel was a beautiful melding of history, fiction, and magical realism—the passages where Lavinia speaks to Virgil in a sacred forest were particularly effective for me. Le Guin is such a masterful writer that she manages to thread all of these elements together into a beautiful story.Among the praise for The King's Rose:
Days ago I finished...[read on]
"Libby's lush historical novel chronicles the intense period during which 15-year-old Catherine Howard became Henry VIII's fifth wife. Starting when the king disposed of his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, byView the book trailer for The King's Rose.annulment, and taking readers through the moment of Catherine's death for treason against the king, the story captures her powerlessness, despite her title.... The gripping story crackles with the anxiety of the young queen-her lack of control over her own life and desires will resonate most with readers."
—Publishers Weekly
"More drama than history, this suspenseful, downright racy tale will send readers hurtling headlong toward the novel's bitter end."
—Kirkus
Visit Alisa Libby's website and blog.
Writers Read: Alisa Libby.
--Marshal Zeringue
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