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The Barefoot Queen
by Jean Harrington
A villainous English Lord leads
to Irish defiance!
When
her father suffers at the hands of an English Lord, Grace
O'Mallery knows she can't sit and watch idly while the people of
Ballybanree starve. The legend of her great-grandmother, a pirate who
openly defied the English, ignites Grace's passion for justice. Lord
Rushmount will not accept any challenge to his authority ---- not from
his animals, his family or the tenants of Ballybanree. He knows only
one way to answer defiance --- with brutality and blood-payments. Owen
O'Donnell, the sexy and muscular blacksmith, knows that he must protect
Grace and his people from the wrath of Lord Rushmont. Will the threat
of losing everything cause Owen to put his heart above his past wounds
and seek a new life? Will Lord Rushmont discover the identity of the
deer stalker and take his vengeance?
Jean Harrington's 17th century historical romance THE BAREFOOT
QUEEN details the hard realities of life in Ballybanree when the
authority of an English lord knows no restraint and justice is
unattainable. Jean Harrington places the hero and heroine within the
context of the whole town, allowing the reader to know the residents
and their connections to one another. Grace is a strong woman, defiant
and willing to take a stand against injustice. Owen, defiant yet gentle
of heart, circumspect yet ingenious and innovative, will the sufferings
of his people and a threat to Grace force him to take action? Just how
far is he willing to go to protect Grace and their love?
THE BAREFOOT QUEEN
creates a historical background that makes
Ireland and history come alive for readers. The introduction of
Shakespeare and RICHARD III
was very well done --- not just placing the
romance within literary history but providing a window into Lord
Rushmont's character and a reflection on the written word. The Bible
also comes into play, not just the creation of the King James bible but
also the importance of the Bible and reading in a time when reading
instruction was rare outside of the upper classes. In the background of
the current historical time, the reader sees the past actions of Oliver
Cromwell and the Church of England and its effect on the attitudes and
fears of the characters. Jean Harrington gives the reader more than
just historical references. She gives us the emotional, spiritual and
economic conflicts as experienced in the lives of her characters.
Despite Charles II's reign and the relaxation against Catholicism,
we see the difficulties for Father Joyce as gestures do little to feed
empty bellies. Father Joyce was a most interesting character. Conscious
of church laws, he still finds a way of obeying his religious orders
and also of being a man of God and a spiritual voice to his flock, when
the two conflicted. Owen was great hero --- disabled by an accident yet
strong and sexy, a wounded soul yet defiant and smart. In Grace's
character, like others, Jean Harrington fills in the shades of grey,
not presenting the reader with a black and white character but a
fallible heroine. Lord Rushmount is a villain ---- a man easy to hate
for his brutality. The author did a great job at showing how evil and
self-centered the passions are that inflame his heart. If you want a
light romance, this is not the one to read. There are sad and
devastating events here, and yet, Jean Harrington provides a
magnificent catharsis, one that reaches across time, place and perhaps
even generations. THE BAREFOOT QUEEN
has an exquisite spiritual and
historical happily ever after ending, a romance of daring hearts and a
beautiful ending born out of the pain and hardship but one full of
future hope.
Publisher: Highland Press (October 2007)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
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