Vanora Bennett

An epic tale set against a backdrop of civil-war torn sixteenth-century Europe, portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger flees to the safety of Tudor England in order to escape artistic censorship, a refuge from where he paints two nearly identical portraits of Sir Thomas More's family that reflect subtle but significant differences.

A Novel

Portrait of an Unknown Woman

A sumptuous wedding feast, two advantageous marriages and a blessing from the golden king.

Figures in Silk

Faberge jewels, the mysterious Rasputin, and a priceless violin: Each plays a part in one young woman's fight for survival, and for love, in revolutionary Russia. St. Petersburg, 1911. Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia's capital. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. She feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head. She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive, and devoted to revolution. Horace Wallick, an Englishman who makes precious Faberge creations, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many others, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin. As the rebellion descends into anarchy and bloodshed, a commission to repair a priceless Stadivarius violin offers Inna a means of escape. But what man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late? A magical and passionate story steeped in history and intrigue, Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel of music, politics, and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

Midnight in St. Petersburg

14th century England is in turmoil: the king is in debt to the city and the old order has broken down - it is a time of opportunity for those who can seize the moment. Alice Perrers, the king's mistress, has become the virtual ruler as the king lies in his sickbed. But Alice faces a host of enemies who threaten her command.

The People's Queen

Queen Catherine of Valois, a Frenchwoman living in England, must learn to make her own way since her husband, King Henry V, continues his warfare against the French. Catherine is not alone in her struggle to adapt to the English royal court, however, and comes to rely heavily on a young Welshman, Owain Tudor.

Blood Royal

Catherine de Valois, widow of Henry V, finds both strength and kinship with her childhood friend, Owain Tudor.  When their friendship turns to love she risks her life, her son's life, and the uneasy balance of power in England and France.

The queen's lover

Evie, a rebellious young American, leaves New York in search of art and adventure in jazz-age Paris, where her grandmother lives. But on arrival, her grandmother's sudden death leaves Evie compelled to carry out her dying wish: to find a man from her past called Zhenya. The quest leads Evie deep into the heart of the Russian émigré community of Paris. With the world on the brink of war, she becomes embroiled in murder plots, conspiracies and illicit love affairs as White faces Red Russian and nothing is as it seems ...

The White Russian

When silk merchant John Lambert marries off his two beautiful daughters, their fortunes are set to change forever. Elder daughter Jane starts a notorious liaison with Edward IV, while her sister, Isabel, as the new silkweaver to the court, becomes privy to its most intimate secrets. Could they hold the keys to power in this time of uncertainty?Vanora Bennett brings to life a time of passions and politics, a time of turmoil and tension, a world in flux and a country up for grabs.

Queen of Silks

Married off by their silk merchant father on the eve of England's late-fifteenth-century War of the Roses, two sisters find their subsequent lives marked by a scandalous affair with Edward IV and the inner workings of a powerful silk dynasty. By the author of Portrait of an Unknown Woman.

“Bennett’s medieval England comes alive in ways a reader can immediately relate to, even while being transported away from the modern world.” —Christian Science Monitor The story of two sisters caught up in the maelstrom of historic events, Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett combines the fascinating art and history of silk making with political intrigue and a sweeping, unforgettable love story. A breathing immersion into a Tudor England torn asunder by the War of the Roses, Figures in Silk is historical fiction at its finest—a rare and welcome treat for readers captivated by the fiction of Tracy Chevalier, Sarah Dunant, Geraldine Brooks, Susan Vreeland, and the Boleyn novels of Phillipa Gregory.

Set in St Petersburg during the Russian Revolution, a sweeping novel of love and loss as one woman fights for her own personal survival - and for the man she loves. By the acclaimed author of Blood Royal and Queen of Silks. St Petersburg,1911: Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of her native Kiev to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia’s capital city. Welcomed into the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop, and feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle of friends. But revolution is in the air and, as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between following her heart or her head. Her brooding cousin, Yasha is wild, destructive and bent on rebellion. While Horace, the Englishman who works for Fabergé, promises security and respectability. As the city descends into anarchy and blood-letting, Inna is offered a chance to escape. But which man will she choose to take with her? And is she already too late?

Midnight in St Petersburg

A sumptuous wedding feast, two advantageous marriages and a blessing from the golden king

From Vanora Bennett, the acclaimed author of Portrait of an Unknown Woman and Figures in Silk comes The Queen’s Lover, a fictionalized account of the life and loves of Catherine de Valois, a woman of enormous courage who became a great queen of two countries. Fans of Phillipa Gregory, Alison Weir, Sarah Dunant, and Tracy Chevalier, and every reader who adores top-quality historical fiction will be swept away by this epic love story set against the rich backdrop of 15th-century England and France—and by this remarkable woman who triumphed magnificently by making her own rules.

The Queen's Lover

Într-o Anglie devastată de ciumă și umilită în bătălii, Alice Perrers, o biată orfană din Essex, ajunge metresa bătrânului rege Eduard al III-lea. Manipulându-i pe cei din jur, Alice își sporește neîncetat averea și încearcă să îl câștige de partea ei pe ducele Ioan, fiul regelui, ca să își asigure locul la curte după moartea suveranului. Dar nimeni nu poate controla capriciile destinului și, când tot ce a clădit Alice amenință să se năruie, singurul care îi mai stă alături e poetul Geoffrey Chaucer. Un pasionant tablou al frământatului secol al XIV-lea englez, ieșit de sub penelul Vanorei Bennett, autoarea romanelor de succes Regina mătăsurilor (Editura ALLFA, 2011) și Sânge regesc (Editura ALLFA, 2011).

Regina nimănui

Catherine de Valois, daughter of the French king Charles VI, is born into troubled times. Though she is brought up in a royal court, it is a stormy and unstable environment. Before she is out of her teens, Catherine is married off to England's Henry V as part of a treaty honoring his victory over France. She is terrified at the idea of being married to a man who is a foreigner, an enemy, and a rough soldier, and is forced to leave her home for England. Within two years she is widowed, and mother to the future King of England and France—even though her brother has laid claim to the French crown for himself. Caught between warring factions of her own family and under threat by the powerful lords of the English court, she must find a way to keep her infant son safe. In Owain Tudor, a childhood friend for whom Catherine has long had affection and who now controls the Royal household, Catherine finds both strength and kinship. As their friendship turns to love, however, she risks not only her life and that of her son but the uneasy balance of power in England and France that will be forever changed. History comes alive in this lyrical and moving true story of one woman's courage and the inception of one of the most famous royal lineages of all time.

Vanora Bennett

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