FARAWAY PRINCESS
By
Jane Oliver's talent for handling intricate historical fiction is clearly evident in this drama set during the time of the Norman-Saxon struggle. Christina, Margaret and Edgar, three royal children from Hungary, are summoned with their parents to the court of King Edward who plans to declare their father, Prince Edward, heir to the throne. The act is complicated by Prince Edward's death, obviously murder. Malcolm, exiled King of Scotia, enters the picture as an object of intrigue for Christina who sees herself as his queen, though Margaret's affection for him is of a pure nature. When King Edward dies, brother Edgar is in line for the crown despite his unsuitability, but by this time William of Normandy has begun his invasion. The battle rages and though, in the end, Edgar is offered the crown, it is William the Conqueror who is truly victorious. Malcolm who has been fighting on his own land is also a victor and the ""faraway princess"", (Margaret) becomes his bride. All of these involved doings are injected with life and authenticity by an author capable of staging complex drama.