Song for Eloise

Previously published in America, this densely written novella, set in twelfth-century France, has all the atmosphere and occasional mystery of an ancient tapestry. It tells the story of an unhappily married child bride who cannot forget the troubadour who once sang to her. When he arrives at her castle and they meet again, trouble flares. All the time in the background there are regular glimpses of peasants working through the seasons, while in the forest hares run and deer blunder into illicitly dug pits. Told in language that is archaic without ever becoming arch, this dreamy, romantic tale ends on a note of resignation rather than tragedy. Containing neither villains nor heroes, it is a special sort of book that may well appeal only to a rather special type of young reader. But if and when this connection is made, there could be plenty of rewards for those happy to experience a time when so many things were different indeed.