Writing a book about medieval women is always a challenge, not in the least because of the lack of documentation. Many women have no recorded dates of births or deaths, and simply disappear from the pages of history written by men.
The two Eleanors of King Henry III of England are his wife Eleanor of Provence and his sister Eleanor of England. To me, it seemed a rather strange connection for a dual biography, and this feeling lasted throughout reading it. As the main subject of the book inevitably becomes the man these women have in common, I found the book more difficult to follow. Though you can tell that the book is meticulously researched and factual, it never quite seems to reach that sweet spot.
The Two Eleanors of Henry III by Darren Baker is available now in both the UK and the US.
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