The Linen Queen

Download The Linen Queen full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online The Linen Queen ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

The Linen Queen

Author : Patricia Falvey
Publisher : Center Street
ISBN 13 : 9781599952000
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (52 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Linen Queen by : Patricia Falvey

Download or read book The Linen Queen written by Patricia Falvey and published by Center Street. This book was released on 2011-03-02 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered, unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland. Her classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally gives her the opportunity she's been dreaming of. But Sheila does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which brings World War II to her doorstep. Now even her good looks are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her earlier resolve is eroded by her ma's fear of being left alone. When American troops set up base in her village, some see them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors--one of them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke, she sets her sights on an attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon, but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a street-wise young evacuee from Belfast. Frustrated, Sheila fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions aside and bond together in a common purpose to fight the Germans. Sheila's affection for Joel grows as she and Gavin are driven farther apart. As the war moves steadily closer to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion, and a meaning for life outside of herself.

The Linen Queen

Author : Patricia Falvey
Publisher : Center Street
ISBN 13 : 9781599953892
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (538 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Linen Queen by : Patricia Falvey

The Yellow House

Author : Patricia Falvey
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781599958781
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (587 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Yellow House by : Patricia Falvey

Download or read book The Yellow House written by Patricia Falvey and published by . This book was released on 2014-08-20 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'The Yellow House' delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill.

The Linen Queen

Author : Patricia Falvey
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781609417277
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (172 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Linen Queen by : Patricia Falvey

Download or read book The Linen Queen written by Patricia Falvey and published by . This book was released on 2014-07-02 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered, unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland. Her classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally gives her the opportunity she's been dreaming of. But Sheila does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which brings World War II to her doorstep. Now even her good looks are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her earlier resolve is eroded by her ma's fear of being left alone. When American troops set up base in her village, some see them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors--one of them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke, she sets her sights on an attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon, but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a street-wise young evacuee from Belfast. Frustrated, Sheila fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions aside and bond together in a common purpose to fight the Germans. Sheila's affection for Joel grows as she and Gavin are driven farther apart. As the war moves steadily closer to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion, and a meaning for life outside of herself.

The Girls of Ennismore

Author : Patricia Falvey
Publisher : Kensington Books
ISBN 13 : 1496709969
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (967 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Girls of Ennismore by : Patricia Falvey

Download or read book The Girls of Ennismore written by Patricia Falvey and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2017-03-28 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Ireland enters the twentieth century, two girls—close friends yet from different worlds—navigate their journeys into womanhood in this sweeping novel. On a June morning in 1900, Rosie Killeen crosses the road that divides her family's County Mayo farm from the estate of Lord and Lady Ennis. Barely eight years old, Rosie joins the throng of servants who maintain the “big house.” But even more momentous for Rosie ins her chance meeting with the Ennis's lonely young daughter, Victoria Bell. Though the children of the gentry seldom fraternize with locals, Lord Ennis arranges for Rosie to join in Victoria's school lessons. For Rosie, the opportunity is exhilarating yet isolating. Victoria's governess objects to teaching a peasant girl, while the other servants resent Rosie's escape from life below stairs. To complicate matters further, Rosie finds herself growing closer to Victoria's older brother, Valentine. The girls' friendship is interrupted when Victoria is sent to Dublin for the coming season. But Ireland is changing too. The country's struggle for Home Rule, the outbreak of the Great War, and a looming Easter rebellion all herald a new era. And for Rosie, family loyalty, love, friendship and patriotism will all collide in life-changing ways, leading her through heartbreak and loss in search of her own triumphant independence.

The Titanic Sisters

Author : Patricia Falvey
Publisher : Kensington
ISBN 13 : 1496732561
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (967 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Titanic Sisters by : Patricia Falvey

Download or read book The Titanic Sisters written by Patricia Falvey and published by Kensington. This book was released on 2021-01-26 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The enchanting saga of two Irish sisters…This new chapter of Titanic lore is worth plunging into.” —Publishers Weekly From the acclaimed author of The Girls of Ennismore comes a captivating and extraordinary tale of perseverance and bravery. This touching saga of sisterhood—perfect for fans of Fiona Davis and Marie Benedict—follows two young Irish women yearning for independence and adventure, as they set sail on RMS Titanic—the “ship of dreams”—only to be faced with the tragedy of that fabled maiden voyage… Delia Sweeney has always been unlike her older sister--fair and delicate compared to tall, statuesque Nora, whose hair is as dark as Donegal turf. In other ways too, the sisters are leagues apart. Nora is her mother's darling, favored at every turn, and expected to marry into wealth. Delia, constantly slighted, finds a measure of happiness helping her da on the farm. The rest of the time, she reads about far-off places that seem sure to remain a fantasy. Until the day a letter arrives from America . . . A distant relative has provided the means for Delia and Nora to go to New York. Delia will be a lowly maid in a modest household, while Nora will be governess for a well-to-do family. In Queenstown, Cork, they board the Titanic, a majestic new ocean liner making its maiden voyage. Any hope Delia carried that she and her sister might become closer during the trip soon vanishes. For there are far greater perils to contend with as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic . . . In the wake of that fateful journey, Delia makes an impulsive choice--and takes Nora's place as governess. Her decision sparks an adventure that leads her from Fifth Avenue to Dallas, Texas, where oilfields bring unimagined riches to some, despair to others. Delia grows close to her vulnerable young charge, and to the girl's father. But her deception will have repercussions impossible to foresee, even as it brings happiness within reach for the first time . . .

The Book of Fine Linen

Author : Francoise De Bonneville
Publisher : Rizzoli Publications
ISBN 13 : 2080202472
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (82 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Book of Fine Linen by : Francoise De Bonneville

Download or read book The Book of Fine Linen written by Francoise De Bonneville and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A visual tribute to the elegant world of heirloom household fabrics, from the white linen cloth of ancient Egypt to the rainbow-hued coverlets of today. This lively text introduces heirloom household fabrics, their use, manufacture, embellishments, and care, as well as the infinite variety of fibers and materials used. The author explains how they serve as both unusually revealing testaments of the history of daily life and quintessential examples of the weaver’s craft, often so magnificently decorated that they rival works of art. The text is supplemented by a rich array of paintings, archival photographs, vintage advertisements, and original commissioned photography from collections, private homes, and workshops of the leading contemporary manufacturers. A comprehensive glossary of technical terms, bibliography, and index complete the book.

The Dragon Queen

Author : Alice Borchardt
Publisher : Del Rey
ISBN 13 : 0345449509
Total Pages : 681 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (454 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Dragon Queen by : Alice Borchardt

Download or read book The Dragon Queen written by Alice Borchardt and published by Del Rey. This book was released on 2002-02-19 with total page 681 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arthur turned and strode toward us. He was magnificent, and I will never forget that, in that moment, I first loved him. And I believe--had I known what the future held for us: all the trouble, torment, battle, and grief of our lives--I still believe that I would have yielded my heart into his keeping as I did then . . . In a sweeping epic of the imagination, Alice Borchardt enters the wondrous realm of Arthurian legend and makes it her own. The Dragon Queen is the first volume in a trilogy of novels that boldly re-imagines Camelot--and casts Guinevere as a shrewd, strong-willed, magical warrior queen. Born into a world of terrible strife, where war is constant and weapons are never far from the hands of men or women, Guinevere, daughter of a mighty pagan queen, is a threat to her people and a prize to the dreaded sorcerer Merlin. Sent into hiding, she grows up under the protection of a shapeshifting man-wolf and an ornery Druid. But even on the remote coast of Scotland, where dragons feed and watch over her, she is not safe from the all-seeing High Druid Merlin. He knows the young beauty's destiny, and he will stop at nothing to prevent what has been foretold. For if Guinevere becomes Queen and Arthur, King, they will bring a peace to the land that will leave the power-hungry Merlin a shriveled magician in a weary cloak. Yet Guinevere possesses power of her own--dazzling power to rival even that of Merlin. Summoned from her home by forces she cannot fathom, she travels from the Underworld to an Otherworld of the Past, at each step calling on ancient powers to aid her way. When young Guinevere proves her mettle to an embarrassed Merlin, even her faithful dragon protectors cannot prevent the evil that the sorcerer rains down. Seeking revenge, Merlin banishes Arthur to a world from which the only escape is death. Now Guinevere must face Merlin's wrath without him--and prove that she is worthy of being Arthur's Queen. From the glass-roofed Great Hall at Tintigal to the lush garden forts of Wales, Alice Borchardt details the travels of Guinevere in a rich fabric of prose. The Dragon Queen is a novel of great emotional depth, timeless romance, and soul-stirring adventure.

Queen of Fashion

Author : Caroline Weber
Publisher : Henry Holt and Company
ISBN 13 : 1429936479
Total Pages : 452 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Queen of Fashion by : Caroline Weber

Download or read book Queen of Fashion written by Caroline Weber and published by Henry Holt and Company. This book was released on 2007-10-02 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this dazzling new vision of the ever-fascinating queen, a dynamic young historian reveals how Marie Antoinette's bold attempts to reshape royal fashion changed the future of France Marie Antoinette has always stood as an icon of supreme style, but surprisingly none of her biographers have paid sustained attention to her clothes. In Queen of Fashion, Caroline Weber shows how Marie Antoinette developed her reputation for fashionable excess, and explains through lively, illuminating new research the political controversies that her clothing provoked. Weber surveys Marie Antoinette's "Revolution in Dress," covering each phase of the queen's tumultuous life, beginning with the young girl, struggling to survive Versailles's rigid traditions of royal glamour (twelve-foot-wide hoopskirts, whalebone corsets that crushed her organs). As queen, Marie Antoinette used stunning, often extreme costumes to project an image of power and wage war against her enemies. Gradually, however, she began to lose her hold on the French when she started to adopt "unqueenly" outfits (the provocative chemise) that, surprisingly, would be adopted by the revolutionaries who executed her. Weber's queen is sublime, human, and surprising: a sometimes courageous monarch unwilling to allow others to determine her destiny. The paradox of her tragic story, according to Weber, is that fashion—the vehicle she used to secure her triumphs—was also the means of her undoing. Weber's book is not only a stylish and original addition to Marie Antoinette scholarship, but also a moving, revelatory reinterpretation of one of history's most controversial figures.

The Last Queen

Author : C. W. Gortner
Publisher : Ballantine Books
ISBN 13 : 034550741X
Total Pages : 385 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (455 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Last Queen by : C. W. Gortner

Download or read book The Last Queen written by C. W. Gortner and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2008-07-29 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this stunning novel, C. W. Gortner brings to life Juana of Castile, the third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, who would become the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne. Along the way, Gortner takes the reader from the somber majesty of Spain to the glittering and lethal courts of Flanders, France, and Tudor England. Born amid her parents’ ruthless struggle to unify and strengthen their kingdom, Juana, at the age of sixteen, is sent to wed Philip, heir to the Habsburg Empire. Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her dashing young husband, and at first she is content with her children and her married life. But when tragedy strikes and she becomes heir to the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it costs her everything. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from C. W. Gortner's The Queen's Vow. Praise for The Last Queen “This moving tale of Juana la Loca (the Mad) vividly re-creates the passion, politics, and betrayals that drove a smart and spirited queen to the brink of insanity . . . or perhaps, as C. W. Gortner suggests, to the pretense of insanity–a pretense that baffled Juana’ s enemies and led to triumph for her children and her country. The Last Queen is an absorbing account of one of history’s most fascinating women, from her never-before-told point of view.”—Donna Woolfolk Cross, author of Pope Joan “I ached for this intelligent, one-of-a-kind queen. Her struggle and passion kept me up until the early hours of the morning. A page-turner, a nail-biter, an eye-opener: I loved being possessed by The Last Queen!”—Ki Longfellow, author of The Secret Magdalene “A vibrant tapestry of love and hate . . . brings to life an extraordinary queen at an unforgettable time in history.”—Sandra Worth, author of Lady of the Roses “An exquisite evocation of a dangerous era and of a forgotten queen.”—Holly Payne, author of The Virgin’ s Knot “Gripping and unforgettable . . . captures Juana of Castile’s electrifying drama.”—Judith Merkle Riley, author of The Water Devil

The Queen of Tuesday

Author : Darin Strauss
Publisher : Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN 13 : 0812982576
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (129 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Queen of Tuesday by : Darin Strauss

Download or read book The Queen of Tuesday written by Darin Strauss and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lucille Ball, Hollywood’s first true media mogul, stars in this “bold” (The Boston Globe), “boisterous novel” (The New Yorker) with a thrilling love story at its heart—from the award-winning, bestselling author of Chang & Eng and Half a Life A WASHINGTON POST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • “A gorgeous, Technicolor take on America in the middle of the twentieth century.”—Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Nickel Boys This indelible romance begins with a daring conceit—that the author’s grandfather may have had an affair with Lucille Ball. Strauss offers a fresh view of a celebrity America loved more than any other. Lucille Ball—the most powerful woman in the history of Hollywood—was part of America’s first high-profile interracial marriage. She owned more movie sets than did any movie studio. She more or less single-handedly created the modern TV business. And yet Lucille’s off-camera life was in disarray. While acting out a happy marriage for millions, she suffered in private. Her partner couldn’t stay faithful. She struggled to balance her fame with the demands of being a mother, a creative genius, an entrepreneur, and, most of all, a symbol. The Queen of Tuesday—Strauss’s follow-up to Half a Life, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award—mixes fact and fiction, memoir and novel, to imagine the provocative story of a woman we thought we knew.

The Winter Queen

Author : Jane Stevenson
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN 13 : 9780618382675
Total Pages : 340 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (826 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Winter Queen by : Jane Stevenson

Download or read book The Winter Queen written by Jane Stevenson and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2003 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An immensely moving account of a strange and magical interracial love affair, The Winter Queen illuminates the Netherlands of the seventeenth century. Amid the dark ambiance of the time, the exiled Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia and Pelagius, a West African prince and former slave, fall in love and secretly marry. With great erudition and compassion, Jane Stevenson vividly renders both a portrait of an extraordinary relationship and a tumultuous political history. Set against a historical backdrop enriched with the art, philosophy, and religion of the Dutch Golden Age, "scene succeeds scene in Vermeer-like richness of color" (Memphis Commercial Appeal).

The Uncommon Reader

Author : Alan Bennett
Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN 13 : 1429934530
Total Pages : 126 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Uncommon Reader by : Alan Bennett

Download or read book The Uncommon Reader written by Alan Bennett and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This book was released on 2007-09-18 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From one of England's most celebrated writers, a funny and superbly observed novella about the Queen of England and the subversive power of reading When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely (from J. R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, and Ivy Compton-Burnett to the classics) and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changes dramatically. Abetted in her newfound obsession by Norman, a young man from the royal kitchens, the Queen comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with the routines of her role as monarch. Her new passion for reading initially alarms the palace staff and soon leads to surprising and very funny consequences for the country at large. With the poignant and mischievous wit of The History Boys, England's best loved author Alan Bennett revels in the power of literature to change even the most uncommon reader's life.

Linen Houses of the Lagan Valley and Their Families

Author : Kathleen Rankin
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781913993436
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (934 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Linen Houses of the Lagan Valley and Their Families by : Kathleen Rankin

Download or read book Linen Houses of the Lagan Valley and Their Families written by Kathleen Rankin and published by . This book was released on 2022-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the late 19th century, Belfast had developed into one of the great industrial cities of the Empire. Much of this new-found wealth was based on the manufacture of linen. The opulent lifestyle that came to be so characteristic of the great linen barons is reflected perhaps best of all in the houses they built. Many travelled from their imposing mansions in the Lagan Valley into the city on the new Great Northern Railway. Others lived in equally resplendent houses near the linen works they had already established on the River Lagan. This book provides an illustrated and informed commentary on the major linen families and the magnificent houses they built along the Lagan Valley. The images-exterior views of the actual houses, interior scenes of the stately rooms and portraits of the families themselves-present tantalising and poignant glimpses of a bygone age, when Belfast was justifiable know as "Linenopolis."

Queen Ferris

Author : S. C. Butler
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9780765314789
Total Pages : 506 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (147 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Queen Ferris by : S. C. Butler

Download or read book Queen Ferris written by S. C. Butler and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2007-10-30 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stunning novel in the tradition of "Eragon" and "Artemis Fowl"

The Eyes of the Queen

Author : Oliver Clements
Publisher : Atria/Leopoldo & Company
ISBN 13 : 1501154699
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Eyes of the Queen by : Oliver Clements

Download or read book The Eyes of the Queen written by Oliver Clements and published by Atria/Leopoldo & Company. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[A] rollicking new historical thriller…taut, made-for-movie-theater tension and delicious, snickering-from-the-back-row wit.” —New York Times Book Review In this first novel of the exhilarating Agents of the Crown series, a man who will become the original MI6 agent protects England and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I from Spain’s nefarious plan to crush the Age of the Enlightenment. After centuries locked in an endless cycle of poverty, persecution, and barbarity, Europe has finally emerged into the Age of Enlightenment. Scientists, philosophers, scholars, and poets alike believe this to be a new era of reason and hope for all. But the forces of darkness haven’t completely dissipated, as Spain hunts and butchers any who dare to defy its ironclad Catholic orthodoxy. Only one nation can fight the black shadow that threatens this new age, and that is Britain, now ruled by a brilliant young Queen Elizabeth I. But although she may be brave and headstrong, Elizabeth knows she cannot win this war simply by force of arms. After her armies have been slashed in half, her treasury is on its knees. Elizabeth needs a new kind of weapon forged to fight a new kind of war, in which stealth and secrecy, not bloodshed, are the means. In this tense situation, Her Majesty’s Secret Service is born with the charismatic John Dee at its head. A scholar, a soldier, and an alchemist, Dee is loyal only to the truth and to his Queen. And for her, the woman he’s forbidden from loving, he is prepared to risk his life. A visceral and heart-pumping historical thriller, The Eyes of the Queen is perfect for fans of Ken Follett and Dan Brown.

Captive Queen

Author : Alison Weir
Publisher : Doubleday Canada
ISBN 13 : 038566978X
Total Pages : 497 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (856 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Captive Queen by : Alison Weir

Download or read book Captive Queen written by Alison Weir and published by Doubleday Canada. This book was released on 2010-07-13 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For historical fiction readers, a tantalizing new novel from New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir about the passionate and notorious French queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Renowned for her highly acclaimed and bestselling British histories, Alison Weir has in recent years made a major impact on the fiction scene with her novels about Queen Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey. In this latest offering, she imagines the world of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the beautiful twelfth-century woman who was Queen of France until she abandoned her royal husband for the younger man who would become King of England. In a relationship based on lust and a mutual desire for great power, Henry II and Eleanor took over the English throne in 1154, thus beginning one of the most influential reigns and tumultuous royal marriages in all of history. In this novel, Weir uses her extensive knowledge to paint a most vivid portrait of this fascinating woman.