Bestselling author Heald has chosen seven qualities that make a woman beautiful, and illustrated those traits with key women from history, literature, the Bible, and society.
Unflinching and plainspoken, Tessa Swan is not your typical 18th-century woman. Born and bred on the western Virginia frontier along with her five brothers, she is a force to be reckoned with. Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa's long-lost friend, Keturah, who disappeared from the settlement years earlier. Determined to avoid any romantic entanglements as fort commander, Clay remains aloof whenever he encounters the lovely Tessa. But when circumstances force Clay's hand--and heart--the stage is set for one very private and one very public reckoning. Intense, evocative, and laced with intricate historical details that bring the past to life, An Uncommon Woman will transport you to the picturesque and dangerous western Virginia mountains of 1770.
Lucile is a novel by Robert Bulwer-Lytton written in a verse form that became one of the author's most famous works. Often regarded as a collector item in print, it is a great Victorian romance to admire. It has the best of two worlds: the filigree structure of the poetic stance and the romantic love story in the best traditions of Victorian literature.