Her father's only daughter. Her country's only hope. ________________________________ Ireland, 1152 The King of Leinster, awaiting news of his newborn child, is disappointed to hear he has a daughter. Diarmait MacMurchada wanted another strapping son to shoulder a spear, wield a sword, and protect his kingdom. But from the moment Diarmait held the newborn Aoife knew she would be his most precious treasure. 1166 Forced into exile Aoife and her family find themselves at the mercy of Henry II. Aoife - aware of her beauty but not its power - intrigues and beguiles Henry in equal measure. For Aoife he agrees to help her father, an alliance that leads the MacMurchadas to the charismatic Richard de Clare, a man dissatisfied with his lot and open to new horizons. Diarmit promises Richard Aoife's hand in marriage in return for his aid in Ireland, but Aoife has her own thoughts on the matter. She may be a prize, but she is not a pawn, and she will play the men at their own game. For herself, for her family, and for her country. From the royal halls of scheming kings, to staunch Welsh border fortresses and the wild green kingdoms of Ireland, The Irish Princess is a sumptuous, journey of ambition and desire, love and loss, heartbreak and survival. ________________________________ Praise for Elizabeth Chadwick 'An author who makes history come gloriously alive' The Times 'Stunning . . . Her characters are beguiling, and the story is intriguing' Barbara Erskine 'Picking up an Elizabeth Chadwick novel you know you are in for a sumptuous ride' Daily Telegraph 'I rank Elizabeth Chadwick with such historical novelist stars as Dorothy Dunnett and Anya Seton' Sharon Kay Penman 'Enjoyable and sensuous' Daily Mail 'Meticulous research and strong storytelling' Woman & Home 'A riveting read . . . A glorious adventure not to be missed!' Candis

A grand-scale historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Mistress Shakespeare. Born into a first family of Ireland, with royal ties on both sides, Elizabeth Fitzgerald—known as Gera—finds her world overturned when Henry VIII imprisons her father, the Earl of Kildare, and brutally destroys her family. Torn from the home she loves, her remaining family scattered, Gera dares not deny the refuge offered her in England's glittering royal court. There she must navigate ever-shifting alliances even as she nurtures her secret desire for revenge. From County Kildare's lush green fields to London's rough-and-tumble streets and the royal court's luxurious pageantry, The Irish Princess follows the journey of a daring woman whose will cannot be tamed, and who won't be satisfied until she restores her family to its rightful place in Ireland.

Melkorka is a princess, the first daughter of a magnificent kingdom in mediæval Ireland -- but all of this is lost the day she is kidnapped and taken aboard a marauding slave ship. Thrown into a world that she has never known, alongside people that her former country's laws regarded as less than human, Melkorka is forced to learn quickly how to survive. Taking a vow of silence, however, she finds herself an object of fascination to her captors and masters, and soon realizes that any power, no matter how little, can make a difference. Based on an ancient Icelandic saga, award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli has crafted a heartbreaking story of a young girl who must learn to forget all that she knows and carve out a place for herself in a new world -- all without speaking a word.

Amy J. Fetzer transports readers to the mists of ancient Ireland with her spellbinding saga of passion, treachery, and the fiery war between a headstrong Irish princess and the English knight pledged to triumph.

A hero's feats? Ever since he was a baby, Becan's only worry has been his big feet--until his widowed father remarries. His new stepmothr and her three daughters feed him crusts of bread and banish him to work in the fields. So Becan runs away. With the help of his only friend, a magical bull, he defeats a giant, slays a dragon, and rescues a princess. But before she can thank him, Becan disappears, leaving behind him one of his enormous boots. The princess scours the kingdom for the owner of the giant boot. Will Becan's feet give him away? And what will his fate be if they do? Folklorist Shirley Climo retells an age-old Irish tale that is an unusual twist on the popular Cinderella story. Just like his female counterpart, Becan has a mean stepmother and stepsisters. Unlike Cinderella, Becan has large feet and a magical bull for a fairy godmother. He defeats a sword-swinging giant, slays a fire-breathing dragon, and rescues a princess. But before the princess can thank him, he runs off, leaving her with only an enormous boot to aid her in the search for her rescuer. And, as in all Cinderella stories, true love prevails. Folklorist Shirley Climo retells an age-old Irish tale that is an unusual twist on the popular Cinderella story. Just like his female counterpart, Becan has a mean stepmother and stepsisters. Unlike Cinderella, Becan has large feet and a magical bull for a fairy godmother. He defeats a sword-swinging giant, slays a fire-breathing dragon, and rescues a princess. But before the princess can thank him, he runs off, leaving her with only an enormous boot to aid her in the search for her rescuer. And, as in all Cinderella stories, true love prevails.

A romance from a new author about the pleasure and pain of first love, the warmth of family life and its sorrows, and about two girls growing up, exploring new feelings and discovering themselves.