Janet McNaughton - An Earthly Knight

Author: Janet McNaughton
Title: An Earthly Knight
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 2003
Age range: 12 - 18 (no true upper limit!)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance / Revised Fairy or Folktale (based on two ballads)
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Plot Summary: The story is set in 1162, in Scotland. Jenny (Lady Jeannette) is the 16 year old second daughter of a minor nobleman. Jenny is vivacious and pretty, but with a temper and honest manner of speaking that does not match the standards of contemporary ladies. When her older sister Isabel falls into social disgrace, it is up to Jenny to make a good match and secure the future of her family. Unfortunately she catches the eye of Earl William, brother to King Malcolm of Scotland. William is charismatic and attractive, but cruel and selfish, as well as a man who abuses his status and power by seducing young women of lower classes. Meanwhile, Tam Lin, the grandson of another nobleman, thought to be lost to the fairy folk of the forest and their magical ways (even with the presence of the Church in Scotland, many people still believe in the fairies) returns to his birthplace and meets Jenny in the forest. They fall in love, and Jenny has to face the wrath of William, the disappointment of her family, and the danger of crossing the fairy queen, who is unwilling to let go of her first knight, as she seeks to save Tam Lin's life.

Comments: This is the book I picked up in the first day of class because the cover, with an old style calligraphy font, reminded me of the historical romances I started reading as a teenager. The picture is of a young woman with long golden hair shown in front of a tree trunk, looking over her shoulder at the viewer so that her face is half-hidden behind her hair. There is some wonderful historical detail in this book, so the author has clearly done her research. At its heart this is a love story of a slightly immature young woman doing a lot of growing up in a short period of time, and learning to recognize the motivations people have for their actions. Caught up in the possibility of someday becoming the Queen of Scotland, Jenny allows her behavior toward family servants to become petty, as she stamps her feet and shouts when she doesn't get what she wants. Tam Lin is always gentle and kind, and Jenny feels herself around him - calm and at peace. Jenny also feels a strong connection to the forest and to simple, natural things, like sunlight filtering through the tree canopy, and Tam Lin himself lives away from other people, in the ruins of a former home. Though Jenny longs to have status, fine things, and a powerful husband, she also realizes quickly that actions speak louder than words, when Earl William ignores her, then showers her with attention, then practically blackmails Jenny's father to provide a larger dowry so that William will agree to marry Jenny. Just as she is about to be betrothed to William, Jenny decides to risk everything to try to sever Tam Lin's connection with the magic of the fairies and make a life with the man she loves.

Teens, particularly young women, are likely to identify with Jenny's rapid changes of temper and emotion, as well as her desire to be her own person and yet cultivate the approval of the more powerful figures in her life, especially the men. She behaves badly, then realizes that in her heart it is more important to have friendship and love than power and pretty clothes. Jenny finds that she can be brave when necessary, and that she can look for opportunities to better the lot of her family members as well as other members of the household. I enjoyed the historical details McNaughton included, as well as aspects of language and culture, at this intersection where local Scottish culture interacted with the English Church and Norman culture as well. Without overwhelming her audience with too much historical detail, McNaughton tells a good story, while educating her reader a bit at the same time.

Date read: 5 January - 9 January