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Published by She Writes Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
For fans of Maggie O’Farrell, a coming-of-age story and a royal love triangle marked by danger and longing, based on real events in medieval France and England.
Romantic and stubborn, eleven-year-old Isi plans to marry for love and be mistress of her own castle. But life in 1198 is full of threat and a series of tragic events teaches her growing up is hard.
When Isi falls for Hugh, a French nobleman, he consents to marry her, but only for her dowry. She longs for more. Hoping a jealous man will fall in love, she flirts with a king. The flirtation backfires: King John abducts and marries her. Now trapped in cold, warring England with a malicious husband, Isi must hide her yearning for Hugh and find her own power. If she fails, she won’t live to return to her beloved.
Inspired by real historical figures—Isabelle d’Angoulême, Hugh de Lusignan, and King John of Magna Carta fame—Behold the Bird in Flight is set in a period that valued women only for their dowries and childbearing. Isabelle’s story has been mainly erased by men, but the medieval chronicles suggest a woman who developed her own power and wielded it—in court and in bed. And as the woman behind the throne, who’s to say she didn’t influence history?
Romantic and stubborn, eleven-year-old Isi plans to marry for love and be mistress of her own castle. But life in 1198 is full of threat and a series of tragic events teaches her growing up is hard.
When Isi falls for Hugh, a French nobleman, he consents to marry her, but only for her dowry. She longs for more. Hoping a jealous man will fall in love, she flirts with a king. The flirtation backfires: King John abducts and marries her. Now trapped in cold, warring England with a malicious husband, Isi must hide her yearning for Hugh and find her own power. If she fails, she won’t live to return to her beloved.
Inspired by real historical figures—Isabelle d’Angoulême, Hugh de Lusignan, and King John of Magna Carta fame—Behold the Bird in Flight is set in a period that valued women only for their dowries and childbearing. Isabelle’s story has been mainly erased by men, but the medieval chronicles suggest a woman who developed her own power and wielded it—in court and in bed. And as the woman behind the throne, who’s to say she didn’t influence history?
Product Details
- Publisher: She Writes Press (June 3, 2025)
- Length: 256 pages
- ISBN13: 9781647429119
Raves and Reviews
“Immersive and filled with drama, Behold the Bird in Flight takes a forgotten queen and brings her to vivid life. This beautiful novel transports the reader back in time to a remote yet deeply human moment, when war echoes through the stone corridors of medieval castles and love still finds a way.”—Carrie Callaghan, author of A Light of Her Own
“Lewis’s in-depth research makes us intimate witnesses to the public and private challenges, machinations, and flawed love of these royals. Perfect for fans of history from the woman’s point of view.”—Rebecca D’Harlingue, author of The Lines Between Us and The Map Colorist
“A stunning recreation . . . . Terri Lewis gets to the heart of Isabella of Angouleme's life and story, turning the spotlight on the often maligned and misrepresented Queen of England. We see a girl turn into a young woman, thrown into the intrigue and paranoia of King John's court and discovering that she must learn to swim among the sharks before they devour her.”—Sharon Bennett Connolly, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, author of Ladies of Magna Carta
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