Judith Merkle Riley (1942–2010)
Author of A Vision of Light
About the Author
Disambiguation Notice:
Judith Merkle Riley, née Judith Astria Merkle. Please do not combine with Judith Riley.
Series
Works by Judith Merkle Riley
2006 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Riley, Judith Astria Merkle
- Birthdate
- 1942-01-14
- Date of death
- 2010-09-12
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of California, Berkeley (PhD)
- Occupations
- historical novelist
professor of government - Short biography
- Born on January 14, 1942, Judith Astria Merkle grew up in Livermore, California. Her great-grandfather was a Swiss emigrant, who moved to the United States in 1860. Her uncle was the famous baseball player Fred Merkle. Her father, Theodore Charles Merkle was controller of Project Pluto; and her brother Ralph C. Merkle is technological professor at a computer science school. Judith held a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and taught in the Department of Government at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. She wrote six historical novels, including three in a series featuring the character Margaret of Ashbury.
- Nationality
- USA (birth)
- Birthplace
- York, Maine, USA
- Places of residence
- Livermore, California, USA
- Place of death
- Claremont, California, USA
- Disambiguation notice
- Judith Merkle Riley, née Judith Astria Merkle. Please do not combine with Judith Riley.
- Associated Place (for map)
- California, USA
Members
Discussions
Historical Fiction-Illiterate Medieval woman dictates life story to a scribe in Name that Book (July 2010)
Reviews
Witty historical fiction with a bit of fantasy (in this case, angels and demons), this book is set during the reign of Henry VIII in England, and includes scenes in France as well.
I loved the main character, painter Susanna Dallet - she is captivating and has a rather droll sense of humor. Daughter of a Flemish artist and trained by him, she's married to another cheating artist (who was only trying to get her dad's secrets from her) and trying to be a good wife. She takes on a commission show more on behalf of her husband for a miniature of Mary Tudor, sister of the king, intending to pass her work off for his, but then her husband is caught in bed with another woman and killed, and Susanna has to pretend his ghost did the work.
That starts off a romp of an adventure that has Susanna working for Cardinal Wolsey and ultimately sent to France as part of Mary Tudor's entourage for her marriage to its aging king. There's also a plotline involving a mysterious book sought by the Priory of Sion as well as a villian in England, the involvement of demons and imps and angels and cherubs (rather silly, but fun), and of course romance.
Each section of the book begins with an art catalogue description of one of thirteen paintings supposedly done by Susanna, but attributed to others or unknowns. Susanna then makes a retrospective comment about the painting that foreshadows what is to come in the book. I loved this, and only wish I could have seen the actual portraits, as I believe some are real (for example, there are a number of portraits of Mary Tudor by unknown artists). I also loved all the description of painting techniques and processes included in the story.
I think author Judith Merkle Riley may have based Susanna on the real female Tudor era artist Susannah Hornebolt, who was known (like her father Gerard) for her miniatures. Interestingly, this artist had a brother name Lucas Horenbout, and the art catalogue descriptions of two of the thirteen paintings list him as the artist - which makes me wonder if perhaps the real-life Susannah's work was mistakenly attributed to her brother!
Sadly, we can't ask the author, as she died in 2010. I plan to read the other five of her historical novels show less
I loved the main character, painter Susanna Dallet - she is captivating and has a rather droll sense of humor. Daughter of a Flemish artist and trained by him, she's married to another cheating artist (who was only trying to get her dad's secrets from her) and trying to be a good wife. She takes on a commission show more on behalf of her husband for a miniature of Mary Tudor, sister of the king, intending to pass her work off for his, but then her husband is caught in bed with another woman and killed, and Susanna has to pretend his ghost did the work.
That starts off a romp of an adventure that has Susanna working for Cardinal Wolsey and ultimately sent to France as part of Mary Tudor's entourage for her marriage to its aging king. There's also a plotline involving a mysterious book sought by the Priory of Sion as well as a villian in England, the involvement of demons and imps and angels and cherubs (rather silly, but fun), and of course romance.
Each section of the book begins with an art catalogue description of one of thirteen paintings supposedly done by Susanna, but attributed to others or unknowns. Susanna then makes a retrospective comment about the painting that foreshadows what is to come in the book. I loved this, and only wish I could have seen the actual portraits, as I believe some are real (for example, there are a number of portraits of Mary Tudor by unknown artists). I also loved all the description of painting techniques and processes included in the story.
I think author Judith Merkle Riley may have based Susanna on the real female Tudor era artist Susannah Hornebolt, who was known (like her father Gerard) for her miniatures. Interestingly, this artist had a brother name Lucas Horenbout, and the art catalogue descriptions of two of the thirteen paintings list him as the artist - which makes me wonder if perhaps the real-life Susannah's work was mistakenly attributed to her brother!
Sadly, we can't ask the author, as she died in 2010. I plan to read the other five of her historical novels show less
One of 3 loosely-linked historical novels (with a soupçon of fantasy) by Judith Merkle Riley, this historical novel deals with the miniaturist, Susanna Dallet. Left in poverty by the death of her philandering husband, she becomes paintrix to Thomas Wolsey, and accompanies Mary Tudor to her wedding with Louis XII of France.
Deftly written, I enjoyed this. Susanna is not a simpering miss of a heroine, but a woman who isn't sure she wants a man back into her life after the way she was treated show more by her late husband. Certainly not the mildly misogynist Robert Ashton who is told by Thomas Wolsey to look after his investment.
There is some period fantasy - angels and demons, along with Black Magic, but not enough to mark this as a historical fantasy.
Recommended. show less
Deftly written, I enjoyed this. Susanna is not a simpering miss of a heroine, but a woman who isn't sure she wants a man back into her life after the way she was treated show more by her late husband. Certainly not the mildly misogynist Robert Ashton who is told by Thomas Wolsey to look after his investment.
There is some period fantasy - angels and demons, along with Black Magic, but not enough to mark this as a historical fantasy.
Recommended. show less
Protagonist: Margaret of Ashbury, a midwife and herbalist
Setting: 14th century London, England
Series: #1 of a trilogy
First Line: In the year of our Lord 1355, three days after the Feast of the Epiphany, God put in my mind that I must write a book.
Margaret of Ashbury heeds a "voice" commanding her to compose her life story. Unable to write, she hires Brother Gregory to record her memories. He is contemptuous of her ambition but hungry enough to accept her offer. Riley's plot alternates show more between Margaret's and Gregory's clashes in the present and her telling of her past. The story is fast paced, and the medieval setting is authentically portrayed, whether Riley is describing life on London Bridge, alchemy, or the Black Death.
I loved this book. The setting felt so real that I wanted to adjust my wimple, and the voices of Margaret and Gregory were perfect: Margaret seeing things as they never were and asking why, and Gregory wanting change in his own life--but not for women! Will I be reading the other two books in the trilogy? You can take it to the bank! show less
Setting: 14th century London, England
Series: #1 of a trilogy
First Line: In the year of our Lord 1355, three days after the Feast of the Epiphany, God put in my mind that I must write a book.
Margaret of Ashbury heeds a "voice" commanding her to compose her life story. Unable to write, she hires Brother Gregory to record her memories. He is contemptuous of her ambition but hungry enough to accept her offer. Riley's plot alternates show more between Margaret's and Gregory's clashes in the present and her telling of her past. The story is fast paced, and the medieval setting is authentically portrayed, whether Riley is describing life on London Bridge, alchemy, or the Black Death.
I loved this book. The setting felt so real that I wanted to adjust my wimple, and the voices of Margaret and Gregory were perfect: Margaret seeing things as they never were and asking why, and Gregory wanting change in his own life--but not for women! Will I be reading the other two books in the trilogy? You can take it to the bank! show less
One of 3 loosely-linked historical novels (with a soupçon of fantasy) by Judith Merkle Riley, this historical novel deals with the diviner Madame de Morville (or Genevieve Pasquier).
Genevieve Pasquier is the youngest daughter of a disgraced financier (who fell with Fouquet). Growing up in a straightened household, her spendthrift mother believes her husband squirrelled away a fortune and does her best to get hold of it, murdering her husband and mother-in-law. Believing Genevieve knows show more where the fortune is, she threatens her life. Genevieve runs away and falls into the clutches of Catherine Monvoison, Queen of the Witches of Paris.
La Monvoison grooms Genevieve as a water diviner, disguising her as Madame de Morville, a 150 year-old cursed with eternal life. As a diviner, Genevieve makes an excellent living, coming to the attention of Madame de Montespan, who is desperate to keep the affections of the king by any means possible. Along the way, Genevieve gets mixed up with Hugenots and playwrights.
There is less overtly supernatural elements in this book, although it is suggested that Genevieve has true visions of The Terror.
Recommended. show less
Genevieve Pasquier is the youngest daughter of a disgraced financier (who fell with Fouquet). Growing up in a straightened household, her spendthrift mother believes her husband squirrelled away a fortune and does her best to get hold of it, murdering her husband and mother-in-law. Believing Genevieve knows show more where the fortune is, she threatens her life. Genevieve runs away and falls into the clutches of Catherine Monvoison, Queen of the Witches of Paris.
La Monvoison grooms Genevieve as a water diviner, disguising her as Madame de Morville, a 150 year-old cursed with eternal life. As a diviner, Genevieve makes an excellent living, coming to the attention of Madame de Montespan, who is desperate to keep the affections of the king by any means possible. Along the way, Genevieve gets mixed up with Hugenots and playwrights.
There is less overtly supernatural elements in this book, although it is suggested that Genevieve has true visions of The Terror.
Recommended. show less
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First Novels (1)
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Statistics
- Works
- 11
- Members
- 3,063
- Popularity
- #8,332
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 78
- ISBNs
- 120
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- 10
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