Song for Eloise Eloise’s life in 12th-century France is happy
until at fifteen she is married to a man twice her age. Her
political match to Robert has nothing to do with love. She is a
young girl, whilst he, a hardened warrior, has strived hard to
earn his castle and a bride of good breeding. Eloise becomes
homesick for her family and home. Despite the birth of her son
she still cannot find joy; a fact that Robert is achingly aware
of. He employs a young troubadour, Thomas, to cheer her up,
unaware that the boy is a childhood friend of Eloise. Robert is
no fool and sees the life return to his wife’s eyes when she
looks upon Thomas. This is a sad tale of unfulfilled love told
in a poetic and imaginative style. Although the book is quite
short it is extremely effective. The novel unfolds in short
snapshots, giving the reader a chance to see the story from many
perspectives. This works well because of the skill of the
writer. It enables the reader to see that characters who appear
to be menacing in one viewpoin