HERE is the story of a great love and a great sacrifice and of a queen’s work built on that sacrifice. It takes us back five hundred years, to the brilliant court of that King Louis of Hungary who ruled the half of Europe—the court where his gifted youngest daughter, Jadwiga, grew up. It takes us to Vienna, for Jadwiga was betrothed to the young Crown Prince of Austria. Then to Krakow, early capital of Poland, where Jadwiga was called as queen and where she made her supreme renunciation. Through it and her marriage with the Lithuanian Grand Duke, Jagiello, she brought the last pagan people of Europe into the fold of the Western Church, and raised a barrier against the eastern push of the German soldiers of the Cross, which made possible a Poland stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Thenceforth the union of Poland and Lithuania was known as the “Wedding ring of Jadwiga.” Through darkest days she kept her faith, until she was reverenced throughout Europe for her holiness and admired for her wisdom. Like Joan of Arc in France, she has been in Poland a symbol of national aspiration and a source of national idealism. This book represents years of travel and research and has already been accepted by the Polish historical congress. It is important as history and interesting also as the love story of a great woman.

The 1930s marked a turning point for the world. Scientific and technological revolutions, economic and social upheavals, and the outbreak of war changed the course of history. The 1930s also marked a turning point for Robinson Jeffers, both in his career as a poet and in his private life. The letters collected in this second volume of annotated correspondence document Jeffers' rising fame as a poet, his controversial response to the turmoil of his time, his struggles as a writer, the growth and maturation of his twin sons, and the network of friends and acquaintances that surrounded him. The letters also provide an intimate portrait of Jeffers' relationship to his wife Una—including a full account of the 1938 crisis at Mabel Dodge Luhan's home in Taos, New Mexico that nearly destroyed their marriage.

Hungarian Princess Jadwiga (Yahd VEE gah) has been prepared from birth to put the peace and prosperity of nations above her own desires. Betrothed in 1378 at the age of five to Prince William of Austria, their education has included spending time in each other’s court for careful training as future rulers. When the balance of power in Central Europe unexpectedly shifts, the Council from faraway Poland demands that Jadwiga become their monarch. The eleven-year-old girl is soon traveling north to Krakow where she is crowned queen in Wawel Cathedral, swearing “to keep and maintain the rights and liberties granted by the righteous Christian kings of Poland.” And she means to do it. However, when Poland’s Council insists upon her marrying the fierce pagan Prince Jagiello of Lithuania instead of William, Jadwiga passionately resists. The intense struggle in which this young queen lays down her personal hopes and gives her entire life to the fulfillment of a peaceful union between Poland and Lithuania—long referred to as “The wedding ring of Jadwiga”—will have far-reaching consequences in her own time and in the years to come. Jadwiga, “White Dove of Poland,” was canonized a saint in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. Includes an Author’s Note Historical Insight article by Daria Sockey Revised edition

Crowned "King" of Poland at the young age of 10, Jadwiga of Anjou (1374-1399), is forced to grow up quickly and far from home. At twelve, Jadwiga finds herself facing a life-altering dilemma, pitting the desires of her heart against her political responsibilities. Should she marry her true love, the Duke of Austria, or give him up for the good of Poland, Eastern Europe, and the greater glory of God? Jadwiga is called to put her desires aside to fulfill the plan of God. Will she be able to answer the call? Her faith leads her to choose the "more excellent way," ushering in achievements and an influence of peace beyond her imagination. With a lasting impact beyond the Middle Ages, her sacrifice is acknowledged throughout history as Jadwiga's Ring.