Books with author Norah Lofts

From the back cover: Blondel, the strolling minstrel, loves the Queen. Queen Berengaria love Richard the Lionhearted. But whom does Richard love? Set against the magnificent tapestry of the Third Crusade, this fascinating novel spins the stirring story of blondel, the lute player, who uses the magic of his music to perform strange miracles. Blondel becomes court minstrel to the beautiful Princess Berengaria of Navarre, who has vowed to marry Richard, heir to the throne of England. The Princess keeps her vow. but Richard has other plans. a forbidden love that threatens to destroy their lives -- and his kindgom.

Ataxerxes, King of Persia needed a wife. This warrior lord was so powerful that he could make his choice from all his Empire. He picked the one girl who would have given anything to have been passed over, a Jewish scholar, Esther, from the back streets of his capital, Shushan. To a King bored by the chattering of women wreathed in musky scents, this changeling was a breath of fresh air. But the new Queen of Persia was lost in a world of protocol and soon lost her husband's favour. Worse, she had to hide her faith and deny her origins for Haman, the King's favourite, was an Amelekite, an ancient enemy of the Jews, and determined to have revenge. Esther's only hope to avert a holocaust was to risk her own life and go, uninvited, before a King who had already disposed of one unpopular wife. Norah Lofts' Esther, first published in 1951, is a magical re-telling of the Old Testament Book of Esther, the story behind the Jewish festival of Purim.

Legend has long told the story of Blondel the Lute Player who found the lost soldier-king Richard Coeur-de-Lion-kidnapped on the way back from the great crusade to the Holy Land. Blondel found his king by travelling for months across Europe singing the first part of a love-song which Richard and he had composed together. One day, from behind castle walls, the voice of Richard responded to the strain. But why would a minstrel embark on such a risky pilgrimage to find his king? Norah Lofts weaves a fascinating back-story to the tale of the Lionheart who strode out of the courts of twelfth-century Europe to lead his knights onto the Saracen battlefield-inspired by a vision of the Holy Land. The Lute Player tells of the courageous Richard and his ill-fated union with Berengaria, Princess of Navarre-of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine and her possessive love-and, above all, it tells of Blondel whose life was woven in with all of them and who set out on his mission as an act of great love-but not a love for the King...

Artaxerxes, King of Persia, needs a wife. He picks the one girl who would have given anything to be passed over: a Jewish scholar, Esther, from the back streets of his capital, Shushan. To a King bored by the chattering of women wreathed in musky scents, this changeling is a breath of fresh air. But the new Queen of Persia is lost in a world of protocol, and soon loses her husband's favour. Worse, she has to hide her faith and deny her origins - for Haman, the King's favourite, is an Amelekite, an ancient enemy of the Jews, and determined to have revenge. Esther's only hope to avert a holocaust is to risk her own life and go, uninvited, before a King who has already disposed of one unpopular wife...