Avalon - by Anya Seton (Paperback)

About the Book

Shipwrecked off the Cornish coast on his quest to find King Arthur's legendary Avalon, Rumon meets a lonely girl named Merewyn, and their lives soon become intertwined. Rumon brings Merewyn to England, but once there he is so dazzled by Queen Alrida's beauty that it makes him a virtual prisoner to her will.

Book Synopsis

Princes, Vikings, and the history of tenth-century England come together in this saga of exploration and unrequited love.

Prince Rumon of France, descendant of Charlemagne and King Alfred, is a searcher. He has visions of the Islands of the Blessed, perhaps King Arthur's Avalon, "where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow." Merewyn grows up in savage Cornwall--a lonely girl, sustained by her stubborn courage and belief that she is descended from the great King Arthur. Chance--or fate--in the form of a shipwreck off the Cornish coast brings Rumon and Merewyn together, and from that hour their lives are intertwined. Bound by his vow to her dying mother, Rumon brings Merewyn safely to England and keeps from her and all others the shameful secret of her birth. But there his responsibility ends. At court, Queen Alfrida dazzles him with her beauty and holds him in subjection to her will. When her murderous bid to capture the throne for her son comes to light, Rumon is finally freed, and he turns to Merewyn, only to find that he has lost her. His search leads him across the Atlantic to an unknown land, disappointment, and, at last, fulfillment and peace.

From the Back Cover

Princes, Vikings, and the history of tenth-century England come together in this saga of exploration and unrequited love.
Prince Rumon of France, descendant of Charlemagne and King Alfred, is a searcher. He has visions of the Islands of the Blessed, perhaps King Arthur s Avalon, where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow. Merewyn grows up in savage Cornwall a lonely girl, sustained by her stubborn courage and belief that she is descended from the great King Arthur. Chance or fate in the form of a shipwreck off the Cornish coast brings Rumon and Merewyn together, and from that hour their lives are intertwined. Bound by his vow to her dying mother, Rumon brings Merewyn safely to England and keeps from her and all others the shameful secret of her birth. But there his responsibility ends. At court, Queen Alfrida dazzles him with her beauty and holds him in subjection to her will. When her murderous bid to capture the throne for her son comes to light, Rumon is finally freed, and he turns to Merewyn, only to find that he has lost her. His search leads him across the Atlantic to an unknown land, disappointment, and, at last, fulfillment and peace.
Anya Seton (1904 1990) was the author of many best-selling historical romances, including Katherine, The Winthrop Woman, Dragonwyck, Green Darkness, Devil Water, and Foxfire. She lived in Greenwich, Connecticut.

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Review Quotes

"The book is characterized by Ýan] authentic sense of time resulting from wide reading and detailed sense of place." "--The New York Times Book Review"

"Anya Seton has vividly and colorfully portrayed life during the tumultuous Dark Ages." --"Historical Novels Review"

"The book is characterized by [an] authentic sense of time resulting from wide reading and detailed sense of place." "--The New York Times Book Review"

About the Author

Anya Seton (1904-1990) was the author of many bestselling historical romances, including Katherine, The Winthrop Woman, Avalon, Dragonwyck, Green Darkness, Devil Water, and Foxfire. She lived in Greenwich, Connecticut.