The Weekly Shelf Talker: Lady Macbeth

The Weekly Shelf Talker is our weekly column, in which a Vroman's employee recommends a great book, new or old, fiction or not, for you to enjoy. This week's Shelf Talker is from Lee Kelley. She recommends Lady Macbeth, by Susan Fraser King.

This is definitely not Shakespeare’s Macbeth! This is a wondrous tale of eleventh-century Scotland and the last female descendant of that country’s oldest and most royal line; not just a queen, but a warrior queen.

Gruadh was allowed to learn the sword by her loving father, but still had to bow to his wishes when it came to marriage. When her husband is killed and she is forced to become wife to Macbeth, who was responsible for her husband’s death, she finds ways to stay alive and to make certain her son inherits what is rightfully his. Even as her respect for Macbeth grows, her fears continue to haunt her. The Vikings are too close, and her husband has been seen dealing with them. He also seems to be more than ready to take the throne of Scotland should there be a way to do it. Her current king is leading them into chaos and too many warriors are dying.

This is an exciting tale of a ‘small Queen’ who became a true Queen in every sense of the word. Shakespeare only told a very small part of the tale. Here is the rest of it; revel in it.

Lee Kelley happily works in the Accounting Dept. at Vroman’s. She’s an avid reader of science fiction and psychological mysteries but will read nearly anything – including aspirin bottle labels if that’s all that’s handy! Fortunately for her, she works at Vroman’s!