Book description
From the bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring comes a
historical tale of love, sex and revenge.
Jean le Viste, a newly-wealthy member of the French court, commissions
a series of tapestries to hang in his chateau named 'The Lady and the
Unicorn.' Nicolas, his chosen designer, is a talented artist. He is also
dangerously attractive to the women around him including le Viste's
wife, Genevieve, and his daughter, Claude. Nicolas is at once smitten
with Claude but will her social standing prevent her from returning his advances?
As Nicolas begins to weave the tapestries so too do the lives and
desires of the people around him intertwine. As people fall in love, are
shunned, take revenge, find unrequited love, turn to the church or to
pagan ideals, the tapestries become to each an ideal vision of life -
yet all discover that they are unable to make this ideal world their own.
Set against the historical backdrop of medieval France, Chevalier
weaves together an intricate tapestry of love, revenge & art in a
novel which will appeal to fans of Sarah Dunant, Rachel Hore and
Philippa Gregory. 'Beautifully written, I could not put it down… a
tale of ambition, lust, betrayal and heartbreak…a compelling and
enormously enjoyable work' Evening Standard
'On the academic front, here is the old Chevalier, exact and guarded,
accurate and self-contained…On the erotic front, she positively
explodes, the shy smiles of Pearl Earring replaced by a terrific torrent
of carnal imagery, every sense invoked and appetite exploited' Guardian
'Tracy Chevalier gives the kiss of life to the historical novel' Independent
'With great insight, invention and a remarkable eye for detail,
Chevalier breathes life into artists and artisans, their subjects and
surroundings and, most important, their magnificent creations'
Washington Post
'The story she weaves is as lush as the tapestries she describes, and
her colorful characters leap off the page. A romantic, beautiful book'
Booklist Tracy Chevalier is the author of six novels, including the
international bestseller Girl with a Pearl Earring, Remarkable
Creatures, The Virgin Blue, Falling Angels, and The Lady and the
Unicorn. Born in Washington, DC, she moved to London in 1984, where she
lives with her husband and son. She has a website at www. tchevalier.
com.
