Thomas

byShelley Mydans

It is very rare that an historical novelist can illuminate an epoch as precisely as the professional historian, yet Mrs. Mydans has achieved this. There are few more fascinating and dramatic conflicts in history than that between Henry II and Thomas Becket. She is able to re-create the development of Becket's character while anchoring herself to an orthodox chronological narrative. The book is well balanced, and there is tension throughout between the miracle-working Becket of medieval hagiography and the actual Becket of concrete historical fact. Mrs. Mydans has not only written a good novel but also made a useful contribution to historical understanding.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENTShow more