The Lords of Vaumartin

Set in France during the Hundred Years' War, the uncle of a young man, Everard, the true Lord of the demesne of Vaumartin is goaded by his wife, to hold on to it himself; he is regent until Everard comes of age. His patrimony gone, Everard finds a new life for himself in Paris, rising from abject poverty to a scholar's life. I liked how the novel vividly showed all levels of society, from the poverty-stricken, to an alchemist, scholars, tradesmen, nobility and royalty. I felt the ending was fitting, with a moral component.

Highly recommended.

This is the story of a fictional Breton nobleman whose first battle experience is the disaster at Crécy. Some while later, he lands in Paris and finds that his dream of becoming a university scholar proves unsatisfying. His experiences expose the reader to a sweep of medieval French life - castles, battle, sorcery as practiced by charlatans, plague, university scholarship, the building of city walls, conflicts between merchants and the nobility.... Holland's novels are known for their authenticity in bringing historic settings to life and conveying the attitudes and spirit of people of the past. This novel is no exception.

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