Gudrun's Tapestry

Rating:
Summary: Gundrun Weaves a Wonderful Tapestry
Review: Anyone who likes Medieval History, or wants an introduction to Medieval History, will love Joan Schweighardt's Gundrun's Tapestry. Set in the 5th Century, Gundrun's Tapestry follows the adventures of Sigfried, Brunhilda, Gundrun, and the gang in the ancient Niebelungen Saga. Scholars think this legend tells the history of the arrival of the Huns in Europe, and Schweigherdt gives us that history with full measure, woven into a thrilling plot that fills out the action of the legend, and adds exciting twists that keep even an old Niebelungen Hound like me turning those pages. I just loved seeing the story come alive under Schweighardt's pen (well actually keyboard, I'm sure.) I got a sense of the clothes, the food, the houses, and the life styles of people both living with Atilla, and living in the Europe through which he rampaged. Everyone felt as real as anyone walking the streets today. Characters in an ancient saga are usually larger than life and heroic. That's okay for the version written inthe 5th Century. That was the style in those days. Today we like reality charcters with warts as well Christy Brinkley looks, and Gundrun's Tapestry has them. For example, Brunhilda is attractive, yes, but her eyes are watery. Siegfried is handsome and bold, as he should be, but he can also be a touch cocky. His enemies? Well, some are bold. Others? Shhhhh! I 'm not explaining, because finding out about them made good reading for me, and I want it to for you as well. Another neat thing about Gundrun's Tapestry is the main character's perspective. It isn't the kind of person who normally has much to say in a traditional Norse Saga. Again, I'm not saying why. You will have to enjoy the discovery for yourself, and believe me, you will. Finally, understanding the title of the book comes at the very end. Learning that was fun too. Best fo all, the enjoyment came in an elegant but easy-to-read style. For me Gundrun's Tapestry and Joan Schweighardt blew the dust off long forgotten memories of Medieval History Class. For people who have never had any Medieval History, here comes a wonderful introduction.

Rating:
Summary: A sweeping novel set in the era of fifth century
Review: Gudrun's Tapestry by Joan Schweighardt is a sweeping novel set in the era of fifth century against a background of the depredations perpetrated by the invading armies of Attila the Hun. Gudron is a woman with a cursed sword who must set out to protect her people, the Burgundians. Along the way Gudron discovers her ability to love the man who may be her deadly mortal enemy. An emotional and sweeping epic tale, Gudrun's Tapestry is original, exceptionally well written, and documents Joan Schweighardt as a gifted and skilled storyteller with a flair for historical fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Joan Schweighardt Weaves a Tale of Love and Vengence
Review: Gudrun's Tapestry is a compelling story of one woman's life, a Burgundian woman whose people are among the many victims of Attila the Hun. Some years after her home at Worms is destroyed, Gudrun's dreams of a peaceful life with her love, Sigurd, are shattered by the beautiful valkyria, Brunhild. Gudrun risks what is left of her personal life by setting out to destroy Attila.
Schweighardt has drawn on history and poetic myth to create a context for a tale of the most basic human emotions--love, greed, jealousy, and revenge.
Although the story is set over fifteen centuries ago, these characters from the Dark Ages are revealed as people whose motivations and actions are clearly recognizable to us. After all, is the pursuit of a dragon's gold really so different from the pursuit of an expensive sports car? Jealous lovers still lie to get what they want; families nearly destroyed by tragedy still find the will to rebuild and be happy again. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
But there's more here than just a great page-turner of a tale. This is a story as skillfully woven as the tapestry within it. Schweighardt plays the woof of Gudrun's time spent in the city of Attila over, under, around, and through a warp of Gudrun's personal history. Schweighardt reveals the past as its impact becomes meaningful. In that way there are two stories of Gudrun's life here--the events that forged her character, and the use the fates made of that steely determination. It is fascinating to read the two intertwined.
I believe this book has the potential to be a surprise bestseller if only the word gets out.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I will admit, up front, that my typical reading material is niether historical nor supernatural. And the name "Gudrun" did not inspire me. Had I not been encouraged by an aquaintence to read this, I would have truly missed out on an exceptional book.

Like the work of art for which the book is named, Gudrun's Tapestry is a brilliantly woven masterpiece. Ms. Schweighardt has penned a wonderfully enchanting tale that captures the reader all the way to the last page (and the ironic ending).

Five stars really does not do this book justice. I cannot wait to read the rest of Ms. Schweighardt's work.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I will admit, up front, that my typical reading material is niether historical nor supernatural. And the name "Gudrun" did not inspire me. Had I not been encouraged by an aquaintence to read this, I would have truly missed out on an exceptional book.

Like the work of art for which the book is named, Gudrun's Tapestry is a brilliantly woven masterpiece. Ms. Schweighardt has penned a wonderfully enchanting tale that captures the reader all the way to the last page (and the ironic ending).

Five stars really does not do this book justice. I cannot wait to read the rest of Ms. Schweighardt's work.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I will admit, up front, that my typical reading material is niether historical nor supernatural. And the name "Gudrun" did not inspire me. Had I not been encouraged by an aquaintence to read this, I would have truly missed out on an exceptional book.

Like the work of art for which the book is named, Gudrun's Tapestry is a brilliantly woven masterpiece. Ms. Schweighardt has penned a wonderfully enchanting tale that captures the reader all the way to the last page (and the ironic ending).

Five stars really does not do this book justice. I cannot wait to read the rest of Ms. Schweighardt's work.

Rating:
Summary: copious insightful and thrilling fifth century saga
Review: In the fifth century Attila the Hun leads his invading horde against the collapsing Roman Empire, which offers little resistance. Used to taking charge and care for her family and desperate to save her people, the Burgundians, Gudrun decides she must stop Attila before he destroys Burgundy. She devices a simple plan similar in a sense to the Trojan Horse as she guesses on what makes Attila tick.

Disguised as Ildico, she gains entrance to Attila's terrifying hometown. Then she does the impossible she meets the brilliant war strategist and offers him a special present. Gudrun presents Attila with a war sword, but fails to tell the warrior that this weapon is cursed to bring adversity and tragedy to whoever possesses it as she knows from first hand experience. Attila incarcerates Gudrun, but also makes her one of his wives to the chagrin of his loyal second-in-command, Edeco, who has fallen in love with the foreigner.

GUDRUN'S TAPESTRY is a fantastic historical tale with a touch of romance and a coming of age backdrop. There is much more than just the above paragraph, as readers see flashbacks into Gudrun's life in Burgundy including her family woes and her love for Sigurd the warrior. The audience also receives an incredible look at what motivated the great warlord as Joan Schweighardt provides deep insight into Attila interwoven throughout the exhilarating story line. Ancient times historical readers will appreciate this copious insightful and thrilling fifth century saga.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: History Comes Alive in Schweighardt's Amazing Novel
Review: This is an astonishing book! It leads the reader into a strange historical landscape--the world of Attila the Hun--and effortlessly (or so it seems) provides the details to make that time period and the people in it very, very real. Schweighardt's extensive research is impressive, yet it never holds the story back, "dries it out," or weighs it down. Instead, we're given a complex heroine on a sacred mission. Her mission drives the story forward at a breathless pace, but Schweighardt refuses to rely on plot alone. She has created a protagonist who experiences it all--love and hatred, passion and despair, strength and weakness, courage and fear--and placed her against a backdrop of unfamiliar and often shocking historical events. Gudrun's voice is convincing and often heart-wrenching, and the story she tells is one that stays with you long after you close the book. This is a novel in which history (or more correctly, her-story)and myth collide. It is a tour de force for this very talented writer and a perfect reminder that real people, as well as those in myths , legends, and stories, can transcend their circumstances and triumph. A definite must-read.