by NORA M. MULLIGAN
If you want to know more about Matilda (and believe me, I’ve only just scratched the surface of her wild life here), you’re in luck. There’s a new historical novel, Matilda Empress, by Lise Arin, which is coming shortly to the Field Library, focusing on Matilda’s refusal to give up what she believed was hers by right, and her refusal to follow the role set out for women, even royal women, in the middle ages. If you’re a fan of Sharon Kay Penman’s or Philippa Gregory’s books, set aside some time and dive into the world of Matilda and Stephen when the Norman Conquest of England was still a fairly new thing and the question of who was going to rule the country was an open question.