The Winter Queen

by Jane Stevenson

Book Overview

An immensely moving account of a strange and magical interracial love affair, The Winter Queen illuminates the Netherlands of the seventeenth century. Amid the dark ambiance of the time, the exiled... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618149120
• ISBN13: 9780618149124
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Well written, informative.

This is a well written, informative piece of historical fiction. It is interesting, but not a page turner. Unlike many historical novels, it is more informative about economic and social life and attitudes, than about political history. This is great, but a prologue detailing some of the political background would have really helped. (...) The two protagonists, Elizabeth and the fictional character, Pelagius, are both complex, interesting characters, and while not religious myself, it was refreshing meeting a character like Pelagius, who takes his religion very seriously. The secondary characters, with the exception of Pelagius' patron and one time owner, are simply means to move the plot along, or express social attitudes.

Compromising Positions make strange bedfellows?

The quality of Stevenson's scholarship is immediately evident, the substantial historical research key to the author's success. A love story set in 17th C. Holland, the widowed Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, begins a friendship with African prince and former slave, Pelagius van Overmeer, now a Calvinist theologian. As the sister of Charles I and daughter of James I, Elizabeth's primary obligation is the protection of her children's positions, maintaining good relations with the Crown, in the person of Charles I, currently engaged in the Thirty Years War that is tearing the country apart.For his part, Pelagius is a unique man in this country riddled by war, but also undergoing a cultural renaissance, a resurgence of art and culture. Brought to Europe as a slave, Pelagius achieves his freedom, then dedicates himself to the scholarship of the exotic plants of East Asia and their potential use in the healing arts. An erudite man, Pelagius becomes a seer as well, able to sustain his meager subsistence in this manner.Receiving some notoriety in his capacity as seer, in which he uses ancient African methods to give godly advice to his patrons, Pelagius first awakens the Queen's interest. Engaging in casual conversation, they discover an affinity for one another, having complementary sympathetic natures. While both approach middle age, they are blindsided by their passion and marry in a clandestine ceremony. Once night falls, they are able to give reign to their mutual affection, free of artifice or pretension. As a precaution, Pelagius poses as Elizabeth's Latin tutor and physician, their secret known only by her ladies-in-waiting. Elizabeth's warmth and good humor act as a catalyst to Pelagius' reserved demeanor, deluging him with unexpected joy. Love truly is blind for this extraordinary couple.When Elizabeth becomes pregnant, she is able to conceal her condition, feigning illness during the dank winter months, a time when she regularly suffers from poor health. After their son, Balthasar, is born, Pelagius transports his child in the deep of night to a couple that has agreed to care for the infant. Although the baby must be safely hidden from gossip or unwarranted curiosity, Pelagius is uncomfortable after leaving the child with strangers.It is with considerable distress that Elizabeth and Pelagius consider the future parameters of their relationship, having already tempted fate with the birth of their son. Whether or not they can live as man and wife is the most difficult landmark in this fascinating romance, but the couple cannot ignore the danger to their son should his birth be discovered. Pelagius struggles with a deep affection for his wife and small son, offering solutions, but Elizabeth cannot forget her other children's futures. Both vow to make peace with their painful circumstances, yet each choice is fraught with pain, Elizabeth's options restricted by a royal bloodline, hostage to her royal fate.In prose that transcends the boundar