"The Lady of the Rivers" (Touchstone Books), by Philippa Gregory: The third novel in Philippa Gregory's Cousins' War series is the best yet, a lively tale of witchcraft and romance set amid civil wars in England and France.
"The Lady of the Rivers" focuses on Jacquetta of Luxembourg, who married the much-older Duke of Bedford when he ruled a vast area of France on behalf of his nephew, the mentally unstable King Henry VI of England. In Gregory's telling, the duke was obsessed with finding secret formulas that could turn common metal to gold or bring everlasting life. He was interested in Jacquetta because the women in her family were supposed to be able to foretell the future, and she spends much of the two-plus years of their marriage looking into mirrors while the duke and his alchemist eagerly await her visions.
The duke dies quickly, and Jacquetta embarks for England to avoid another arranged marriage. She has fallen in love with the duke's handsome young squire, and they marry secretly. This briefly angers Henry VI, but the ambitious and capable couple are soon back in his good graces. Jacquetta becomes a favorite of the king's wife, Margaret of Anjou, while her husband is appointed to numerous administrative posts.
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