With her eye for historical detail and flair for sympathetic heroines Francesca Stanfill
breathes new life into the medieval court of Eleanor of Aquitaine. The Falcon's Eyes is a novel
of epic proportions that succeeds in being both intimate and vast. History is Stanfill's canvas
humanity her inspiration.-Amanda Foreman bestselling author of Georgiana: Duchess of
Devonshire Stanfill has persuasively re-imagined the Middle Ages surrounding the legendary
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine with indelible characters in an immersive tale of intrigue bravery
ruthlessness and compassion. . . . The Falcon's Eyes is a dazzling adventure with riveting
twists and turns and a surprising yet deeply satisfying conclusion.-Sally Bedell Smith author
of Elizabeth the Queen Set in France and England at the end of the twelfth century the moving
story of a spirited questing young woman Isabelle who defies convention to forge a
remarkable life one profoundly influenced by the fabled queen she idolizes and comes to know -
Eleanor of Aquitaine Willful and outspoken sixteen-year-old Isabelle yearns to escape her
stifling life in provincial twelfth century France. The bane of her mother's existence she
admires the notorious queen most in her circle abhor: Eleanor of Aquitaine. Isabelle's arranged
marriage to Gerard --- a rich charismatic lord obsessed with falcons --- seems at first to
fulfill her longing for adventure. But as Gerard's controlling nature and his consuming desire
for a male heir become more apparent Isabelle in the spirit of her royal heroine makes bold
often perilous decisions which will forever affect her fate. A suspenseful sweeping tale
about marriage freedom identity and motherhood THE FALCON'S EYES brings alive not only a
brilliant century and the legendary queen who dominated it but also the vivid band of complex
characters whom the heroine encounters on her journey to selfhood: noblewomen nuns servants
falconers and courtiers. The various settings - Château Ravinour Fontevraud Abbey and Queen
Eleanor's exiled court in England - are depicted as memorably as those who inhabit them. The
story pulses forward as Isabelle confronts one challenge one danger after another until it
hurtles to its final enthralling page. With the historical understanding of Hillary Mantel
and the storytelling gifts of Ken Follett Francesca Stanfill has created an unforgettable
character who while firmly rooted in her era is also a woman for all times.
